Guatemala's Crime-Fighting Prosecutor's Job is Safe, For Now

Hannah Stone at InSight Crime has a really good article on Guatemala's Attorney General Claudia Paz y Paz entitled Guatemala's Crime-Fighting Prosecutor's Job is Safe, For Now. In recent weeks, a smear campaign against Paz y Paz has been orchestrated in the major means of communications.

There have also been concerns that President-elect Otto Perez Molina would remove her so as to put an end to prosecutions against former military officials. Fortunately, Perez met with Paz y Paz on Tuesday to assure her that she would remain in her post when he takes office in January. That's great news because, as I mentioned last month, Paz y Paz is someone that will help the incoming administration to continue to right the ship in Guatemala.

In Plaza Publica's defense of Paz y Paz the other day, they highlighted her role going after Gloria Torres and her daughters.

This case can be interpreted for those who have not noticed, as a sign of Paz y Paz's independence from the governing UNE, a party that would have preferred another lawyer instead of her at the front of the MP.

On the other hand, I read several comments on El Periodico's website the other day explaining Paz y Paz's decision to go after Gloria Torres as having been driven by a desire to deflect attention away from President Alvaro Colom and former first lady Sandra Torres. One more thing. Paz y Paz, in the same article I think, was faulted for helping to cover up Rosenberg's murder.

Obviously, I don't subscribe to this explanation, but it's still important to know what some other people are saying in Guatemala. There are usually more than two sides to every story.