Current:Home > MarketsGuatemala’s embattled attorney general says she will not step down-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Guatemala’s embattled attorney general says she will not step down
View Date:2024-12-23 21:04:26
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — The Guatemala attorney general leading efforts to prosecute President Bernardo Arévalo and his party refused to step down Wednesday ahead of a meeting with the president.
“I am not going to resign,” said Consuelo Porras in a recorded video message released by her office on the same day that Arévalo said he would ask her to step down in a face-to-face meeting.
Porras also threatened to take legal action against anyone who tried to push her out and cited court rulings in arguing that she is also not under any obligation to meet with Arévalo, because her office “is an autonomous and independent institution.”
“You (President Arévalo) as the maximum authority of the nation must respect what the (constitution) and the country’s laws establish,” Porras said in the video.
Porras has faced months of protests demanding her resignation for her office’s interference in last year’s elections. Her office has pursued investigations of Arévalo, his vice president and their party, as well as of electoral officials. Her agents have ordered waves of arrest warrants, raids of the party offices and seizures of electoral records and ballots.
For weeks, Indigenous groups blocked the country’s highways and for even longer have maintained a constant protest outside Porras’ office.
The 70-year-old Porras has already been sanctioned by the U.S. government for blocking corruption investigations and undermining democracy.
Arévalo has also planned to ask her for updates on some specific issues, including criminal investigations regarding the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines and alleged cases of bribery in the past administration.
Arévalo’s office said he did not plan to answer Porras publicly.
Since the Attorney General’s office is an autonomous entity, Arévalo can’t remove her. Other options could include reforming the law, but his party lacks a congressional majority to make it happen.
____
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Francesca Farago Details Health Complications That Led to Emergency C-Section of Twins
- New Orleans Saints tackle Ryan Ramczyk will miss 2024 season
- Montana's Jon Tester becomes second Senate Democrat to call on Biden to withdraw from presidential race
- Lou Dobbs, political commentator and former 'Lou Dobbs Tonight' anchor, dies at 78
- Gavin Rossdale Makes Rare Public Appearance With Girlfriend Xhoana Xheneti
- How Travis Barker Is Bonding With Kourtney Kardashian's Older Kids After Welcoming Baby Rocky
- British Open 2024 recap: Daniel Brown takes lead from Shane Lowry at Royal Troon
- Hurry! Save Up to 35% on Free People's Most-Loved Styles at Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale 2024
- Human head washes ashore on Florida beach, police investigating: reports
- 'Love Island USA' complete guide: How to watch, finale date, must-know terminology
Ranking
- Michigan soldier’s daughter finally took a long look at his 250 WWII letters
- Bud Light slips again, falling behind Modelo and Michelob Ultra after boycott
- Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, Francis Ford Coppola to receive Kennedy Center Honors
- 'He was my hero': Hundreds honor Corey Comperatore at Pennsylvania memorial service
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chancellor to step down at end of academic year
- Adrian Beltre, first ballot Hall of Famer, epitomized toughness and love for the game
- Almost 67,000 Hyundai vehicles recalled in the US due to equipment malfunctions
- Appeals courts are still blocking Biden’s efforts to expand LGBTQ+ protections under Title IX
Recommendation
-
Sports are a must-have for many girls who grow up to be leaders
-
Meet Crush, the rare orange lobster diverted from dinner plate to aquarium by Denver Broncos fans
-
John Deere & Co. backs off diversity policies, following Tractor Supply
-
ACOTAR Book Fans Want This Bridgerton Star to Play Feyre in TV Show Adaptation
-
Why Game of Thrones' Maisie Williams May Be Rejoining the George R.R. Martin Universe
-
RNC Day 4: Trump to accept GOP presidential nomination as assassination attempt looms over speech
-
Will Smith and Johnny Depp Seen on Yacht Trip Together
-
What's it like to train with Simone Biles every day? We asked her teammates.