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LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

LATIN AMERICA ADVISOR

A daily publication Of the dialogue

November 6, 2024

Will Guatemala’s High Court Serve the Country Well?

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo has criticized the process by which the country’s Supreme Court justices were selected. // File Photo: Guatemalan Government.

Q

  • Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo said in early October that the recent selection of justices to serve on the country’s Supreme Court had been tainted by the interference of a “corrupt minority.” Arévalo made the comments a day after Congress chose 13 justices in a procedure that some observers said was opaque and harmed by political interference. To what extent was the appointment of justices to Guatemala’s high court flawed, as critics suggest? What does the appointment of the 13 justices mean for Guatemala’s key institutions and for the government’s anti-corruption efforts? Will Arévalo be able to push through judicial reforms that he says are necessary, and what types of reforms does the country need?

A

Salvador Paiz, president of Guatemala Visible and Funsepa in Guatemala City: “Guatemala and its partners should celebrate that the Supreme Court was designated within the constitutionally mandated timeframe and that the process worked as well as could be expected given the existing nominating commission framework. The fact that an average of 138.8 out of 160 members of Congress voted in favor of each of the 13 magistrates also says something about the degree of consensus achieved among the quite varied political representations in Congress, including the broad support by President Arévalo’s party. Political actors and certain influence peddlers swayed the process, but civil society champions like Guatemala Visible kept it in check. Guatemala Visible has gained credibility as an independent observer and guardian of the nomination process. There is certainly room for improvement…”

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