President Bernardo Arévalo is about to appoint the new attorney general and head of the Public Ministry (MP) for the period 2026-2030. This, after having completed the interviews with the six candidates who make up the list that was sent to them by the nomination committee.
The president provided some details about this appointment process during the press conference held this Monday, May 4, at the National Palace of Culture, where he also downplayed the protection that was filed before the Constitutional Court (CC) by the lawyer Fernando Linares Beltranena, so that neither President Arévalo nor the Vice President, Karin Herrera, can designate the new head of the MP, alleging an alleged conflict of interest on the part of the presidential duo in this matter.
downplays the importance
The legal action filed by Linares Beltranena seeks to the appointment of the new attorney general is temporarily suspended until some lawsuits promoted by the MP against Arévalo and Herrera are resolved.
When asked about this new legal action that seeks to stop the appointment of the new attorney general, Arévalo downplayed it, responding only: “it’s ridiculous, and it doesn’t worry me.”
According to the action presented before the CC, the position of attorney general would be temporarily replaced by Dimas Jiménez y Jiménez, who works as metropolitan prosecutor within the investigative entity.
It should be noted that Jiménez has held the position of acting attorney general for a few days, since recently an activity was carried out in the Public Ministry in which he was presented as in charge of the MP. Until now, the Public Ministry has not provided details about the absence of Consuelo Porras, who holds the position until May 16.
Will make designation
During the conference, the president also stated that, At the end of the period for the presentation of challenges, which is this Monday at 3:30 p.m., will make the corresponding announcement at any time regarding the appointment of the new attorney general.
“As soon as the deadline for submitting challenges ends and none have been presented, or some have been evacuated by the nomination commission, I will announce my decision, which is a constitutional obligation as President of the Republic. This decision responds to the conviction that the new leadership that will be at the head of the Public Ministry must represent a fundamental difference, an integral profile committed to democracy, a profile that rejects corruption and co-optation,” Arévalo stated.
Secretary General and Minister of the Interior accompanied the process
The president stated that during the six interviews the candidates “were able to evaluate several aspects beyond the analysis of the files,” which was carried out by the nomination committee that made up the list.
He also assured that During these meetings that he held with the candidates, he was accompanied by the Secretary General of the Presidency, Juan Gerardo Guerrero, and by the Minister of the Interior, Marco Antonio Villeda, who are part of the team that will work in coordination with the MP.
“In these meetings I was accompanied by the Secretary General of the Presidency and the Minister of the Interior, who are part of the central team that works on these coordination issues with an institution such as the Public Ministry and who are part of that effort so that the institutions can have productive coordination that strengthens the strategies to combat crime,” he assured.
According to the president, “the person who will be in charge of the MP is not a person who is at the service of the president or the government, he is a person who serves the nation, he is a prosecutor, or an attorney general at the service of the Republic, at the service of democratic values, of the population.”
Arévalo also indicated that The change that will be made in the MP will be “fundamental” to help Guatemala advance in matters of justice and well-being, so that “the abuses and irregularities that have been experienced in years do not occur.”and that allow for a better stage for everyone and at the same time advance in the transformation of our country in the quality of the public services that the government provides.”