Central America
Indigenous movement unblocks highways in Guatemala
October 23 |
Indigenous leaders leading the protests in Guatemala reported that the blockades of public roads in the country were lifted on Sunday, but said they will not stop protesting in the country’s capital until the four officials they have demanded resign.
The last sections released correspond to roads of importance for tourism in the west of the Central American country. The information of the cleared road was published through a message on the social network X by Dirección General de Protección y Seguridad Vial.
Regarding the protests, the leaders indicated that the demonstrations will remain in front of the headquarters of the Public Ministry until the resignation of the prosecutors, Consuelo Porras, Rafael Curruchiche, Cinthia Monterroso and the Seventh Criminal Judge, Fredy Orellana. All of them have been denounced by the elected president Arévalo de León for carrying out a coup d’état.
The trustee of the Indigenous Municipality of Sololá, Édgar Tuy, said that the officials committed “acts of corruption” and have put “democracy in the country at risk”. For his part, the president of the 48 Cantons, Luis Pacheco, assured: “We are not going to give up the protests, they will continue” and added “no longer with blockades, the passage is free”.
Tuy also said that “the same population of Guatemala, mainly from the departments, has demonstrated and continues to demonstrate their will, and now more than ever they are waiting to come here to the capital city to continue with the demonstration in a peaceful manner”.
Indigenous leaders have said that these actions are not a war against the government but an uprising in favor of the nation’s democracy. Days before, President Alejandro Giammattei had accused President-elect Bernardo Arévalo de León of promoting ungovernability in the country and of not taking responsibility by shying away from dialogue.
Central America
Guatemala’s President to Hold Private Interviews for Attorney General Candidates
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo de León announced that he will privately interview the six candidates for attorney general this week, breaking with the public format used by former President Alejandro Giammattei.
Speaking during a press conference on Monday, Arévalo said the interviews would not be open to the public because he intends to question candidates about their plans to recover the Attorney General’s Office from what he described as “political-criminal networks.”
Under Guatemalan law, the president is responsible for appointing the country’s attorney general.
The position has been held since 2018 by Consuelo Porras, whose term is set to expire on May 16 after two consecutive terms marked by local and international allegations of corruption.
Arévalo is expected to select the new attorney general later this week from a shortlist recently submitted by a nomination commission.
The Guatemalan president has repeatedly criticized the Public Prosecutor’s Office, claiming it has been compromised by corrupt political interests.
Central America
Guatemala Court Voids List of Candidates for Top Prosecutor Position
Constitutional Court of Guatemala on Thursday annulled the shortlist of six candidates for attorney general and head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, ordering authorities to repeat the evaluation phase of the selection process.
The ruling came in response to a legal appeal filed by Raúl Amílcar Falla Ovalle, who challenged the way professional experience had been assessed for some applicants, particularly those with careers in the judiciary.
As a result of the decision, the selection process has been suspended, and the Postulation Commission must return to the stage in which the original 48 applicants were evaluated.
According to the ruling, the commission must reapply the grading criteria without automatically counting years served as judges as equivalent to the professional experience required for the position.
“The Postulation Commission for the election of the Attorney General and Head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office is ordered to reassess the applicants by strictly applying the approved grading table,” the resolution states.
The Constitutional Court also stressed that the process must guarantee merit, competence, and suitability, while ensuring greater transparency in the assignment of scores.
Central America
U.S. extradites Iranian man over alleged sanctions evasion scheme
The United States has extradited from Panama an Iranian national accused of evading economic sanctions against Iran by illegally exporting U.S. technology. He is scheduled to appear this Monday before a court in Seattle.
Reza Dindar, 44, was extradited on April 17 after being detained in Panama since July 2025 on charges related to export control violations between 2011 and 2012, allegedly carried out through companies based in China.
The defendant appeared before a U.S. district court in Seattle, where he faces charges of violating sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran in 1995 during the administration of Bill Clinton. These sanctions prohibit the unauthorized export, re-export, or supply—directly or indirectly—of U.S. goods, technology, or services to Iran or its government.
According to the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Dindar led the company New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi’an, China, which allegedly concealed the procurement of U.S. products for shipment to clients in Iran.
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