On December 11, 2023, the IACHR published its Resolution No. 03/2023 on human rights and serious risks to the Rule of Law in Guatemala. The resolution addressed the political and institutional crisis suffered by Guatemala, due to the arbitrary interference of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in the results of the General Election. According to the IACHR, these actions jeopardized the transition process to a new president and vicepresident, and directly undermined the Rule of Law, the democratic system and the constitutional order. The facts that motivate the resolution occurred in a context of corruption, impunity and criminal prosecution based on political grounds by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Since 2017, the IACHR has warned about the Guatemalan State’s inability to establish an adequate, efficient, impartial and independent Judiciary Power, which is currently taken by power groups that sought to perpetrate impunity and corruption.
For these reasons, the IACHR urged all public authorities to safeguard respect for the constitutional order and the rule of law, and to call for the independent exercise of public powers in order to guarantee the presidential transition. Specifically, the IACHR recommended the implementation of mechanisms for the accountability of the head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in accordance with international human rights standards. The resolution can be found here and the press release here.
