The first actions of Gabriel García Luna as attorney general and head of the Public Ministry (MP) convey a sense of change and commitment to recovering institutionality, according to social organizations.
The first decisions of Attorney General Gabriel García Luna have been correct, according to representatives of the organizations Alliance for Reforms and Myrna Mack Foundation during a forum held this Tuesday, May 21.
The new head of the MP for the period 2026-2030 took office on May 17. A few hours after taking office, he offered a press conference in which he assured that the institution will have open doors for the population.
Among its first measures, it removed a security post at the entrance to the MP’s headquarters, installed during the administration of María Consuelo Porras, and prohibited the institution’s staff from disclosing data or documents on social networks.
He also removed Rafael Curruchiche from his position, who until May 20 was the head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity (Feci), a unit that began with a liquidation process.
Tax career
Lawyer Claudia González, who was part of the defunct International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), described Consuelo Porras’ management as “a dark period.”
He reported that many career prosecutors were forced to leave the institution, while others were removed without just cause, which affected the quality of the professionals who work in the MP.
“It led to a structural weakening, there was a loss of almost 500 prosecutors in the eight years. We not only lost career prosecutors, but resources that are translated into specialized prosecutors,” he said.
For her, it is important that the administration of the new attorney general is responsible for protecting the career, along with training that allows staff to be at the forefront.
“Technical and scientific capabilities must be strengthened. Criminal investigation must be modernized, forensic activities must be strengthened, include financial and technological analysis, as well as combat internal corruption,” he said.
Independence
For Lissette Vásquez, director of the Myrna Mack Foundation, it is important that the population regain confidence in the MP, something that has been lost in the last eight years.
“When we talk about the independence of the MP, we only think about the figure of the attorney general, but that true independence comes from the assistant, those who do the criminal analysis and those who make technical decisions on a daily basis without fear of administrative and political reprisals,” he said.
Vásquez believes that García Luna’s first actions as attorney general show signs of a positive change in the institution, which may allow prosecutors to carry out investigations without fear of administrative and political reprisals.
“Destroying an institution is easy, rebuilding it can take years, but we hope that this new administration can lay the foundations, which is something we identify with the first decisions it has made,” he concluded.