Guatemala’s Public Ministry Offered Full Transparency

During her official visit to Guatemala, UN Special Rapporteur Margaret Satterthwaite was granted full access to institutional data by the Public Ministry (MP). She was provided with over 1,500 official documents, including judicial decisions, active legal cases, and requests for precautionary measures for prosecutors under threat. These requests were made to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights but were never granted.

Satterthwaite met with high-ranking officials, including the Secretary of Criminal Policy, Melvin Portillo, who explained the chronology of attacks against the institution and outlined both the achievements and ongoing challenges faced by the MP. Despite this, her preliminary report failed to reflect the information provided.

Omission of Facts and Lack of Transparency

None of the MP’s efforts were acknowledged in the report. Key points such as the fight against organized crime, drug trafficking, and the protection of migrant children were deliberately left out. Even more concerning, the press was denied access to the public session where the final conclusions were presented, casting serious doubt on the impartiality of the rapporteur’s process.

This secrecy contradicts the very principles the UN claims to uphold: transparency, accountability, and objectivity. Instead, it reveals a pattern of manipulation and alignment with leftist political agendas in the region.

Political Interference and Open Bias

President Bernardo Arévalo has publicly stated his intent to remove Attorney General María Consuelo Porras — a move that is unconstitutional. These statements, echoed in the rapporteur’s narrative, suggest a coordinated attempt to undermine Guatemala’s justice system from both internal and external fronts.

As Secretary Portillo asserted: “The rapporteur’s conclusions show a clear lack of understanding of our justice system.” The facts, the documents, and the reality were ignored in favor of ideological bias. The UN, in this instance, appears less interested in human rights and more focused on political intervention.