Guatemala’s New Attorney General Turns on His Predecessor’s Network
GUATEMALA · JUSTICE
Key Facts
- —The country Guatemala, Central America’s most populous nation, where the Public Ministry (the national prosecution service) decides which crimes and which politicians get investigated.
- —Why it matters The previous attorney general, Consuelo Porras, ran the service for eight years and was sanctioned by the United States and the European Union.
- —What happened On Friday 25 September, Gabriel García Luna presented a report on his first four months in office, which began on 17 May.
- —The numbers Con Criterio counts 225 removals or staff changes in an 88-page report. Prosecutors raided 13 properties in one case on 23 September.
- —What it means for you The prosecution service says it will now target organised crime and corruption networks. For residents and investors, courtroom results are still to come.
- —Still open No charges have been announced against Porras, and critics say officials from her era still hold key posts.
Four months into the job, Guatemala’s attorney general says he found a network loyal to his predecessor inside the prosecution service. Gabriel García Luna now confirms investigations into her, into a powerful former aide to ex-president Alejandro Giammattei, and into online “bot farms”.
He set out the findings on Friday 25 September in a report on his first four months, Infobae and Prensa Libre reported. The investigative outlet Con Criterio published its own assessment on Monday, with sharper criticism from a former anti-corruption prosecutor.
A clear-out at the top
García Luna took office on 17 May, replacing Consuelo Porras after President Bernardo Arévalo named him in early May. Porras had been sanctioned by Washington for alleged corruption, Prensa Libre noted.
Soy502 reported that he told journalists he had found “a structure” serving Porras in senior posts. “Some resigned and others were removed,” he said, without naming anyone.
According to Soy502, those gone include Rafael Curruchiche, head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity (FECI). That unit is now being audited before it is wound up, Infobae reported.
Porras, Martínez and the bot farms
García Luna confirmed that complaints against Porras are under investigation, Infobae and Con Criterio reported. One file, on alleged illegal adoptions during the civil war, sits with a special prosecutor.
He also said Miguel Martínez, a close associate of Giammattei, faces numerous complaints, mostly for money laundering. Prosecutors raided 13 properties linked to his family on Wednesday 23 September, Infobae reported.
La Hora and Con Criterio reported that the Public Ministry is investigating “netcenters”, anonymous account networks used to harass officials and journalists. García Luna called them “bot farms” and said some had originated inside the institution itself.
The critics’ view
Juan Francisco Sandoval, a former FECI head, told Con Criterio that “a prosecutorial career that was already destroyed cannot be protected”. He objected that a regional prosecutor who publicly praised Porras sat beside García Luna at the presentation.
Sandoval did call the plan to move staff out of idle municipal offices sensible. The report also promises fewer dismissed complaints, which Con Criterio says Porras used to dispose of up to 90 percent.
What Is Not Yet Known
The Public Ministry has not said how many complaints against Porras are active, what they allege, or whether she will be summoned. Infobae reported that no responsibilities have been established.
Guatemala’s attorney general has not said who ran the bot farms, or whether the Martínez case will lead to charges. García Luna admitted that leaks before raids were “evident” in some cases.
Sources: Con Criterio, 28 September 2026; Infobae, Infobae and Infobae, 25 September; Prensa Libre, 25 September; Soy502; La Hora, 25 September 2026.
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