In Guatemala, a presidential election in disarray
Corruption and an unpopular president have paved the way for a crowded field of mostly unknown presidential hopefuls. After the country’s Constitutional Court ruled against two top contenders, the election shifted from a relatively safe bet to an uncertain race.
Guatemalan rule of law at risk as Morales strikes CICIG again
Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales is playing constitutional hardball with the country’s top court, which in recent months has been the sole obstacle to his attempts to oust CICIG. Now the entire judicial system—and the country’s fragile democracy—is at risk.
How big business enables authoritarianism in Central America
Business elites have been willfully complicit in the pan-ideological rise of strongmen in Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala.
The U.S. decision to abandon CICIG in Guatemala doesn’t make moral or geostrategic sense
U.S. policy is never governed purely by moral calculations. But in the case of CICIG, it is hard to detect any concerns that remotely outweigh the U.S. interest in establishing the rule of law in Guatemala.
A conversation with Pedro Cruz, advocate for citizen participation initiatives in Guatemala
Global Americans spoke with Pedro Cruz, a leader in the fight against corruption in Guatemala and a member of our New Generation of Public Intellectuals of the Americas.
Targeting the good guys in a country overrun by villains
The recent criticism of CICIG from outside Guatemala is unexpected, unfair and shamefully counterproductive. The attacks only aid the local thugs, crooks and assassins that victimize Guatemalans.
The case for a Nobel Peace Prize for CICIG
Despite CICIG’s current challenges in Guatemala, the organization’s work to battle corruption in the trouble Central American country has been remarkable; a Nobel Prize may just help keep it alive.
Guatemala Congress exonerates President Morales, offers blanket amnesty
In short order the Guatemalan Congress passed a series of laws to protect criminals, including the president and his family. While some political leaders are having second thoughts, the U.S. is considering sanctions.
Graft-busters on collision course with Guatemala’s political class
As President Morales and the political class join forces to undermine investigators and the judicial processes currently underway, the role of citizens will prove crucial in tilting the balance in favor of justice and the continued fight against impunity.
Chronicle of a Guatemalan Crisis Foretold
Guatemalan president Jimmy Morales is in the midst of a crisis of his own making. Will he relent, or dig in and plunge the troubled country further into crisis?