The General Directorate of the Penitentiary System (DGSP), through Office 1591-2025, requested the Court of First Instance of Chiquimula that the hearings of María Fernanda Bonilla Archila They are performed by videoconference.
Luis Juárez Bolaños, general director of the SP, said that the Operational Sub -Directorate is responsible for ensuring prison security and issuing an opinion regarding the transfer of the deprived of liberty.
He added that the Jocotes Detention Center, in Zacapa, where it is currently being held Bonilla ArchilaIt has an area enabled to hold audiences by videoconference.
“We consider appropriate to make the corresponding application, and thus the wear of the personnel would be avoided, as well as the vehicles for the transfer. In addition, it would be avoided by putting the life and physical integrity of the deprived of liberty and the personnel in charge of the custody at risk,” the DGSP said to the court.
The DGSP authorities commented that the application also seeks to reduce the risk for judges, judicial and general population personnel, in addition to reducing public resources spending for the transfer of Bonilla from Zacapa to Chiquimula.
The trade was sent by the SP to the Court on April 24; To date, the application has not resolved.
María Fernanda Bonilla had private escorts and PNC
A group of agents of the National Civil Police (PNC) assigned to Zacapa guarded the unit of the elite command of the Penitentiary System (SP) in which Maria Fernanda Bonilla Archila and José Luis Marroquín Ovalle, indicated of having killed Melisa Palacios on July 5, 2021.
Four patrols assigned to Zacapa, two from Chiquimula and one of the Special Forces Division of the PNC guarded the entrance to the Chiquimula Court, where the two syndicates were presented on April 2, 2025.
On April 9, SP authorities reported that the Security scheme provided to Bonilla responds to alerts issued by the Penitentiary Information Analysis Unit and a request from the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the District of the Public Ministry, for possible attacks against the syndicate.
The Prosecutor’s Office of that department, through the Office MP 287-2024-2194, requested greater security for the deprived of liberty, María Fernanda Bonilla.
Bonilla and his mother, Flor de María Bonilla Archila, former candidate to mayor, were victims of armed attacks in Río Hondo, Zacapa, allegedly linked to organized crime.
The document, signed by Fiscal Assistant Heberth Carlos Orellana Ventura, indicates: attentive I will address you – director of the prison – in order to request your good offices, so that you instruct the personnel in your charge to provide surveillance, protection and protection to the prison María Fernanda Bonilla.
According to the Public Ministry (MP), Flor de María Bonilla Archila filed a complaint with the Zacapa Prosecutor’s Office, in which he points out to be a victim of extortion and threats.
Flor de María Bonilla Archila is being a victim of extortion and threats to attack her life and that of her family, is indicated. In addition, it was reported that the required one is in the aforementioned detention center.
Attacks and links with drug trafficking
According to the investigators of the case, María Fernanda Bonilla Archila was shot in September 2020 in La Pepesca, Río Hondo, Zacapa. In that same village, his mother, Flor de María Bonilla, was also the victim of an armed attack in July 2021.
They added that investigations for both attacks are related to organized crime groups.
We detected a possible struggle between two groups of drug trafficking that operate in Zacapa, they said.
The relatives of Melisa Palacios have denounced the presence of armed groups around the court when the hearings are held against María Fernanda Bonilla and her bodyguard, José Luis Marroquín Ovalle.
They commented that, despite the ostentatious carrying of firearms, the PNC does not act against those people.
The General Directorate of the Penitentiary System said they request the support of the Police “according to the need for the established security scheme.”