On July 1, Walter Mazariegos consolidated his continuity at the University of San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC) as rector for the period 2026 – 2030. which makes him eligible to chair the nomination committee for Comptroller General of Accounts (CGC).
The Rectors Forum is convened to elect on July 15 the president of the candidate for comptroller, the last one that will be formed in 2026.
A group of six rectors promote Mazariegos for the presidency of that commission, according to sources close to the universities who prefer not to be named for fear of reprisals.
The role of the presiding commissioner focuses on calling for work sessions, providing facilities for the commission’s headquarters if the majority of the commissioners approve, as well as acting as spokesperson for the decisions made.
The continuity of Mazariegos in the USAC mobilizes organizations such as Alianza por las Reformas and Guatemala Visible to remind the members of the Rectors’ Forum of the need for the election of the president of the commission to be transparent.
The minimum quorum of the Rectors’ Forum convened for the July 15 session is nine attendees. The election of the president of the commission will be done with the vote in favor of half plus one of the rectors present.
The objective of the commission is to propose six candidates for Comptroller General of Accounts. The final word lies with the plenary session of deputies who are responsible for the election of the comptroller general of accounts for the period.
Organizations have also warned that the CGC can block political candidates for the 2027 elections, which is why they consider it important to filter the candidates well and include the most suitable profiles on the list of candidates.
The CGC is responsible for issuing the temporary certificate of non-existence of claims for charges, known as settlement, which is usually an essential requirement for the electoral contest.
Rector without severance pay
For Alejandro Solorzano, analyst for Alianza por las Reformas, Mazariegos’ continuity in Usac casts a shadow over the future election of the Rectors’ Forum, since in addition to being a candidate, his position in Usac grants him a vote that may be crucial for the decision.
“Keeping Mazariegos at the head of the Usac could become a greater capacity to influence the integration of the commission, the conduct of the sessions and the consensus around the list of candidates,” explains the analyst.
Solórzano highlights that the desire of many sectors to control this latest candidate is due to the political interests at stake during next year’s elections. “This concern is based on the illegal takeover as rector and the strategic importance of the election of the next Comptroller in terms of controlling public spending and the 2027 electoral process.”
Mazariegos did not have a settlement when he proposed himself as a candidate for rector, nor did he have that document when he took office on July 1 for a second term, and to this day, he does not have it either, according to data from the CGC itself.
The lack of the document, in the opinion of the analyst, raises doubts about his suitability to direct the USAC and preside over the postulator. “Whoever presides over a Nomination Commission must generate public trust and guarantee impartiality, conditions that he does not meet.”
Call for transparency
The organization Guatemala Visible, which monitors second-degree elections, without referring to specific candidates, also reminds the Rectors Forum that the election of the president must not only generate trust, but also guarantee the transparency of the commission’s work.
“It is important, first of all, to value, beyond a particular person, the importance of all the actions of the commissioners adhering to the law, being public, transparent and exclusively oriented to privilege the merit and suitability for the position of each of the candidates, avoiding any type of interference or conflict of interest,” explains the organization.
For everything that this nomination commission entails, Guatemala Visible indicates that its presidency, which will define the Rectors’ Forum, must be without any type of questioning.
“Let us remember that the presidency must contribute to strengthening citizen confidence in the process and not generate doubts about its independence or legitimacy. It is therefore important that the Rectors’ Forum evaluates whether the candidates and their representative enjoy these qualities, such as impartiality, transparency, honesty and legitimacy demonstrated to society,” he said.
This nomination commission is made up of the 13 deans of the faculties of Economic Sciences, including the American University and the Juan José Arévalo Bermejo University, the latter related to Mazariegos.
Added to them are the 13 professionals elected by the College of Public Accountants and Auditors of Guatemala (CPA), which appoints 11; and the last two chosen by the College of Economists, Public Accountants and Auditors and Business Administrators (CCEE).
Congress must elect the next head of the CGC who must take office on October 13 for a period of four years.
🇬🇹𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗖𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗗𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗥 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
This year the nomination committee will be made up of 27 people, who have the opportunity to contribute to a good election of comptroller.
📌 Find out at @GuateVisible🔎#EleccionComptroller2026#TheComptrollerMatters pic.twitter.com/DymJgrBZ4j
— Guatemala Visible (@guatevisible) July 2, 2026