He Victim Institutewhich provides support to the family ofPaola Pérez Mezapresented on Tuesday, June 23, a appeal against the resolution that benefited with lack of merit Delisio Alberto Ramírez Cifuentesmajor suspect of the crime.
The institution publicly expressed its rejection of the decision issued by the Court of First Instance Criminal and Environmental Crimes of New Villa. According to the entity, there are the necessary evidentiary elements for the accused to continue formally linked to the investigation.
“The Victim’s Institute considers that there are sufficient rational indications that support the need for the accused to be linked to criminal proceedings.”the institution argued through an official statement, pointing out that the judicial decision does not fit the means of conviction presented.
With this legal action, the Institute seeks to reverse the ruling of the judiciary and reiterated its commitment to maintaining legal, psychological and social support for the victim’s relatives.
Finding in Amatitlán
The history of the case dates back to May 16, 2019when Perez Meza He disappeared after leaving his residence.
A week later, the search for the family ended when authorities located his body near the village cemetery. La Mesilla, in Amatitlán.
Although the young woman did not have identification documents, her mother managed to recognize her in the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (Inacif), thanks to a personal object, some earrings that she herself had given her in her childhood.
The subsequent technical report determined that the cause of death was strangulation.
Research line
The investigation of Public Ministry indicates that the victim had a hidden romantic relationship with Ramirez Cifuentesevangelical pastor since 2012; a bond marked by financial dependence.
Prosecutors documented that Perez Meza He processed multiple bank loans to finance the suspect.
According to the official thesis, the motive for the crime was the claim of these debts and the discovery of infidelity on the part of the accused, which caused an argument that led to the murder and the subsequent abandonment of the body.
Despite the evidence documented by the prosecution, the arrest warrant against Ramirez Cifuentes for the crime of femicide was requested until May 2025. Her arrest occurred months later, on February 1, 2026, by chance during a police operation.
The first statement hearing was postponed due to workload in the Amatitlán Court until last March 2, the date on which he was linked to criminal proceedings and the file was sent to a court specialized in femicide.
Lack of merit behind closed doors
Subsequently, the defendant’s defense filed an appeal before the Second Femicide Appeals Chamber, arguing that there was no documentary evidence to support the alleged financial debt or the romantic relationship. The Chamber accepted the arguments, annulled the initial resolution and ordered the first statement hearing to be repeated.
The new diligence in the Villa Nueva court was in charge of the judge María Lorena Cortez Juárez. Although the media were informed that the hearing was suspended due to a pending appeal, the proceedings were carried out behind closed doors.
The resolution lacked merit in favor of Ramírez Cifuentes, because the judge determined that the evidence presented by the MP was insufficient to link him to the process, although she clarified that the decision does not irrevocably close the case.
As a substitute measure, The accused was released with the obligation to appear every 15 days to sign the attendance book in San Miguel Petapa, under warning of ordering his immediate arrest if he fails to comply with the measure, while the legal actions of the complaining institutions continue to develop.