Battle continues against organized crime in Guatemala
President Jimmy Morales' son and brother both appeared voluntarily before prosecutors in Guatemala. During their meetings last week and this Monday, they individually responded to allegations that they "presented false bills for reimbursement favoring the restaurant of one of the financial backers of the political party that carried Morales to office." Morales' son José Manuel Morales MarroquÃn allegedly asked his uncle to help him get a (false) receipt to cover the costs of 564 Christmas breakfasts in 2013.
There's nothing surprising about this. In Guatemala, like many other countries, family connections run wild. However, this does not seem to be a one off discrepancy but we'll have to see where the investigation goes. There is some paper trail but the witnesses are the parents of the son's ex-girlfriend.
As I argued in various places last year, I did not expect real change to come through congress and the presidency simply by holding new elections. I thought that delaying elections would be a bad idea and that pressure would simply have to be applied during the next government. The Guatemalan people and international community were going to be responsible for carrying the momentum against organized crime into the next political cycle.
In this morning's New York Times, Anita Isaacs reminds people of the threat from organized crime against CICIG and the Guatemalan people. Now is not the time for CICIG, and the international community more broadly, and the Guatemalan people to waver in the fight against corruption and impunity.
There's nothing surprising about this. In Guatemala, like many other countries, family connections run wild. However, this does not seem to be a one off discrepancy but we'll have to see where the investigation goes. There is some paper trail but the witnesses are the parents of the son's ex-girlfriend.
As I argued in various places last year, I did not expect real change to come through congress and the presidency simply by holding new elections. I thought that delaying elections would be a bad idea and that pressure would simply have to be applied during the next government. The Guatemalan people and international community were going to be responsible for carrying the momentum against organized crime into the next political cycle.
In this morning's New York Times, Anita Isaacs reminds people of the threat from organized crime against CICIG and the Guatemalan people. Now is not the time for CICIG, and the international community more broadly, and the Guatemalan people to waver in the fight against corruption and impunity.
Failure could occur in any number of places. Political pressure and fear could force crusaders in government to resign. The United Nations may decide its job is finished and move resources elsewhere. American support could likewise dry up. Any stumble could lead to disaster, giving the momentum back to organized crime and crushing the public’s faith in peaceful change.
What happens in Guatemala matters far beyond its borders. The country is a test case in a region-wide battle against corruption. Reformers elsewhere are watching closely; if organized crime wins out, the illicit forces that govern much of Latin America will be buoyed. But if democracy succeeds, the region’s citizens will gain confidence, inspiration and know-how that can fuel their struggles to build the rule of law.
The United States government understands the stakes, and has vigorously supported the United Nations commission and the attorney general’s office. Their opponents, who accuse the United States of neocolonialism when it suits them, are hoping for a victory by Donald J. Trump in the fall, which may well lead to a cutoff in funds for the reformers.I'm not sure if the US right has come to support CICIG as a meaningful institution. There seemed to be an organized campaign against CICIG from various right-wing outlets and individuals in the US during much of Perez Molina's term. However, their cries seem to have died down since the former president's resignation and arrest. However if I were looking for continued support for CICIG and in the battle against impunity and corruption in Guatemala, I would not really want to risk a Trump presidency.
Post a Comment