The attorney general Consuelo Porras focused the presentation of fourth work report of his second term in defending the results of the Public Ministry (MP), highlight case resolution figures and respond to criticism against the institution, by ensuring that “data kills story.”
During his speech, Porras maintained that the MP worked “with responsibility, commitment and professionalism”but above all “adherent to compliance with the laws of the country”, while calling his administration an “unprecedented structural transformation and institutional modernization.”
The prosecutor stated that when she took office in 2018 she received “an institution with major deficiencies”, with more than 1 million 266 thousand cases without attention or resolution, presence in only 64 municipalities and an “outdated” management model.
According to Porras, eight years later the MP has coverage in all 340 municipalities in the country and managed to resolve 99.98% of inherited cases, in addition to achieving a resolution of 98% of approximately 3.6 million complaints filed during both administrations.
It was at that moment when he assured that “data kills story”defending that the numbers support his administration in the face of criticism and “disinformative narratives”, how he rated them.
“They tried to silence us”
At another point in the event, Porras assured that during his eight years at the head of the MP he faced “pressures, accusations and adverse circumstances”but stated that the institution “remained firm.”
“They tried to silence us, they tried to discredit us, they tried to detract from our work”he expressed.
The attorney general also stated that “each decision was made in accordance with the law” and maintained that the MP acted without exceptions or privileges.
Porras insisted that the management strengthened specialized prosecutors’ offices, expanded territorial coverage, digitized files and consolidated comprehensive care mechanisms for victims.
Likewise, he defended that territorial expansion allowed “justice to stop being distant” and assured that access to justice “became a tangible reality for thousands of Guatemalans.”
“Within a few hours of completing the 2022-2026 management, I can affirm that this has been a historic management with real, verifiable, measurable and verifiable results”he stated at the close of his speech.
Ángel Pineda supports speech
The general secretary of the MP, Ángel Pineda, reinforced the message. Prior to Porras’ speech, he stated that the report presented “represents measurable and verifiable results” and defended that the administration headed by Porras promoted “an unprecedented structural transformation and modernization.”
“While some promoted narratives, this administration built national coverage in the country’s 340 municipalities,” he declared in line with the attorney general.
He also maintained that the MP “defended the institutions” and resisted external pressures.
“We must say it clearly, this Public Ministry defended the institutionality, it did not give in to pressure, even from those investigated themselves, from the accused themselves and from the accused, who for obvious reasons attack the work of the Public Ministry. But they did not force it, legality prevailed and institutionality prevailed,” Pineda stated.
According to the secretary general, the institutional transformation “has already occurred and is documented, tangible and verifiable.”
Figures and results highlighted by the MP
During the presentation of the report, the MP also presented a series of figures with which he sought to support the discourse of results and institutional transformation.
According to the data disclosed, in the fourth year of the second management period the following were reported:
- 10,351 search requests.
- 14,926 arrest requests.
- 21,967 accusation requests.
- 10,565 sentences.
- 10,660 people convicted.
In addition, the MP highlighted that of the 1,266,637 overdue cases received in 2018, 99.88% resolution was achieved, while of the 3,694,097 cases entered between 2018 and 2026, a resolution of 98% was achieved.
According to official figures, the 273 tax agencies created in the first period made it possible to bring justice closer to the population and manage 113,138 complaints, equivalent to 26% of the national total in one year.
Likewise, they indicated that these headquarters sent 34,851 files to specialized prosecutor’s offices and carried out primary procedures before the transfers.
Regarding the results of these tax agencies, the MP reported:
- 978 search requests.
- 1,623 arrest requests.
- 1,852 accusation requests.
- 218 sentences.
- 193 people convicted.
The report also highlighted the work of the 34 specialized section prosecutors’ offices, which – according to the MP – develop strategic criminal prosecution according to each area.
In these prosecutor’s offices the following were recorded:
- 6,919 search requests.
- 10,104 arrest requests.
- 13,564 accusation requests.
- 7,570 sentences.
- 7,676 people convicted.
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