The investiture ceremony in the Constitutional Court (CC) Not only marked the beginning of a new presidency by Leyla Lemusalso brought together senior officials of the Three powers of the State, former ministers and key figures of the justice system, Some of them with a history that has captured international attention.
The magistrate Nester Vásquez Pimenteloutgoing president of the CC, was one of the protagonists of the day.
In April 2024, Vásquez Pimentel assumed the presidency of the highest Guatemalan Court as part of the legal rotation, despite having been sanctioned in 2021 by the United States government and included in the Engel list, accused of improperly influencing the appointment of judges.
The sanction implied the withdrawal of its visa and the prohibition of admission to the North American country.
The magistrates of the CC were also portrayed together: Roberto Molina Barreto, Dina Ochoa, Héctor Pérez, Rony López, Claudia Paniagua, Juan José Samayoa, Walter Jiménez and Luis Rosales.
Group photography was completed by the presence of the highest state authorities: the president Bernardo Arévalo (Executive), Nery Ramos (Congress) and Ildefonso Cifuentes Maldonado Teodule (Judicial Organism and Supreme Court of Justice).
Leyla Lemus, new president of the CC, together with the presidents of the three powers of the State, as well as the president of the Bar Association and Notaries of Guatemala (CANG) and magistrates of the High Court, in their investiture this Monday, April 14, 2025. (Free Press Photo: Esbin García)
In the ceremony the Former Government Minister Carlos Vielmanremembered for its management between 2004 and 2007 during the Oscar Berger government.
His passage in office included signs of extrajudicial executions in prisons, which led him to face a judicial process in Spain, where he was acquitted in 2017.
The Spanish Supreme Court ratified its acquittal in 2018. Since its return to the country, it has continued to actively participate in national policy.
The Attorney General Consuelo Porras, also included in the Engel list For alleged acts of corruption and persecution of independent prosecutors, he was present in the investiture. Porras occupies the position since 2018 and was re -elected in 2022, which caused criticism both inside and outside the country.
Ángel Pineda, current general secretary of the Public Ministry (MP), a key figure in the administrative structure of the institution, also came. Near the Attorney General Consuelo Porras, his name has been linked to strategic decisions of the Prosecutor’s Office and high profile cases.
In 2021 it was included in the Engel list of the US Department of State.
Karin Herrera, Vice President of Guatemala, also attended since January 2024, has generated controversy for its position on its salary and distancing with President Arévalo. In an interview of April 4, 2025, Herrera said: “We talked, as I have expressed, we are not friends. I would like to be more involved in some aspects, but I understand that this is the dynamics of governments in Guatemala.”
This statement arose in the context of a controversy over its salary, when Herrera decided not to reduce her salary, despite the president’s instruction, citing possible future legal implications.
Also read: Leyla Lemus assumes presidency of the CC between special guests