The Minister of the Interior, Marco Antonio Villeda, justified not having been registered in the Registry of Lawyers and Notaries and stated that, if he is left out of the attorney general election process due to lack of qualification, he will analyze legal actions.
During an interview on the program Central Table of Prensa Libre Radio, explained that in previous processes he participated as an applicant and even joined the list of six candidates without that requirement being required.
According to him, registration in the Registry of Lawyers and Notaries is mandatory for those who litigate or practice notary law, but not for judges, a role he has held throughout his career.
“What happens is that there is a misreading behind all this,” he said. He added that the nomination commission’s questioning is based on the fact that he was registered as a lawyer until February 2026, which, he said, responds to the fact that he has never practiced litigation or notary practice.
Villeda assured that his career has been exclusively in the judiciary, so he did not need to meet that requirement. He recalled that in 2010 he participated in the process for attorney general, he was included in the list of six eligible and was not requested to register.
He also indicated that in 2014, when he ran again, the same situation was questioned, but the nomination committee at that time concluded that it was not a condition that disqualified him.
He explained that the recent registration was due to a new requirement of the current process, which requires proof of lack of sanctions as a lawyer, a document that he could only obtain if he was registered.
“That forced me, although I do not litigate or practice notary law, to register as a lawyer,” he said.
Question evaluation
The official also referred to the grade obtained in the process, which is currently 41.86 points out of 100.
As he explained, the commission considered that his professional practice begins from his registration in the Registry of Lawyers and Notaries, which subtracted 50 points in that area.
“If I add those 50 points, I get to 91, more or less,” he stated.
Villeda recalled that in previous processes he obtained 76 points on one occasion and around 35 on another.
Likewise, he pointed out that it has also been questioned that he was not a regular judge, although he stated that he was elected in 2014 as a substitute court judge for the period 2014-2019 and that he served as a regular judge in 2017.
Asked if his position as Minister of the Interior has influenced his evaluation, he indicated that he does not wish to speculate, although he noted that this requirement had never been required of him before in other processes in which he participated.
MP aspiration
Regarding his interest in directing the Public Ministry, he stated that he has the necessary experience and that the institution requires reengineering.
“The Public Ministry needs a new direction and must return to its original function, which is to be an objective body for criminal prosecution based on evidence,” he said.
He added that the institution should not play a political role, but act with objectivity and impartiality.
Assessment
The Nomination Commission for Attorney General rated Villeda with 41.86 points, so he is currently not eligible to be part of the final list of six candidates.
The minister came to office at the end of last year as part of President Bernardo Arévalo’s cabinet, after requesting leave from the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ), because he is a career judge.
The Judicial Branch granted him permission to serve as a minister, which was recently extended for another year.
Villeda has been a judge of the Asset Forfeiture Court and is recognized for his career in the judicial system.
After taking office in the Interior, he decided to run as a candidate for attorney general, a decision that, as he indicated, he discussed with President Arévalo.
However, his lack of prior registration as a lawyer raised questions within the process, which could leave him out of the selection.
Possible actions
Regarding the steps to follow, Villeda indicated that he will wait for the final resolution of the process before deciding whether to present legal appeals.
“I am going to analyze it, because this is still under discussion,” he stated.
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