Guatemala Bids Goodbye to UN Anti-graft Body as It Wraps Up
Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 4:26 pm
FILE - A man holds up a sign that reads in Spanish: "CICIG yes" in reference to the U.N. International Commission Against Impunity, or CICIG, during a protest against Guatemala's President Otto Perez Molina in Guatemala City, April 20, 2015.
GUATEMALA CITY - Guatemala is saying goodbye to a U.N. commission that has helped investigate and bring to justice corrupt politicians, public officials and businesspeople for the last 12 years.
The commission known as CICIG for its initials in Spanish is ceasing operations Tuesday after President Jimmy Morales refused to renew its mandate for another two years.
Human rights prosecutor Jordan Rodas says CICIG was a nightmare for those long accustomed to getting away with brazen malfeasance.
Addressing the commission's chief, Rodas says "the majority of the Guatemalan population acknowledges your work and thanks you for your commitment over the years."
A spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General said in a statement that CICIG "made a decisive contribution to strengthen the rule of law as well as investigation and prosecution capacities in Guatemala."