Guatemala City, by Brenda Larios -AGN-. President Bernardo Arévalo presented the National Commission against Corruption members this Wednesday, who will be in charge of promoting transparency, prevention, and the fight against corruption in the country.
President Arévalo highlighted his steadfast commitment to Guatemala not returning to corruption during his address. He said, “This government will not tolerate corruption. For many years, Guatemalans have witnessed how corruption has stolen the money that should be used to provide basic services to the population.”
President Arévalo emphasized that it was the people who ended the vicious circle by choosing this government, his government, breaking the cycle of corruption.
#EnDirecto | Lanzamiento de la Comisión Nacional Contra la Corrupción. https://t.co/wMLNA5RMJu
— Gobierno Guatemala (@GuatemalaGob) February 28, 2024
The new commission
According to the president, this administration has the goal of driving a change to transparency; its mission is to rescue the institutions and good leadership that still works to serve the people and not themselves.
Today, the government of Guatemala officially inaugurated the new National Commission Against Corruption, led by Santiago Palomo.
The president underscored that some members of the Executive Branch would integrate the commission; they will work jointly with delegate advisors. It will include members of the organized civil society, indigenous peoples, and the private sector.
Members
Among the member of the Executive are:
- Jonathan Menkos, Minister of Finance
- Juan Gerardo Guerrero, Secretary General of the Presidency
- Carlos Mendoza, Secretary of Planification
- Karla Gómez, National Director of Civil Service
- Eddie Cux, Director of Open and Electronic Government
- Claudia Palencia, Vice Minister of the Interior
The delegate advisors include people from different sectors:
- Javier Montenegro
- Connie de Paiz
- Mariana Reynoso
- Daniel Haering
- Saturnino Figueroa
- Ana Alvarado
President Arévalo stressed that the delegate advisors will support the Commission ad honorem for one year and then they will be changed to give the opportunity to include other sectors of the country in this multi-sectoral coordination on corruption.
El presidente @BArevalodeLeon participa en el Lanzamiento de la Comisión Nacional Contra la Corrupción.@AGN_noticias @CpccOficial pic.twitter.com/vPeKqtAkTB
— Brenda Lari (@Brenda_AGN) February 28, 2024
About the commission
The CNC was created through Government Agreement 31-2024, on February 13 of this year, which was published in the Diario de Centro América. It amends Agreement 29-2020, dated January 20, 2020.
The National Commission against Corruption replaces the former Presidential Commission against Corruption, which has been questioned in the past due to its establishment in 2020, years after the expulsion of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala -CICIG-.
The CNC is an institution under the Presidency of Guatemala to develop mechanisms to prevent and combat corruption within the Executive Branch and take legal action to recover defrauded public funds.
