Guatemala in Crisis After President Bans Corruption Investigation Into His Government
NOVANEWS
Thousands of students demonstrate in Guatamala City against President Jimmy Morales, September 20, 2018.
BY: Rachel E. Bowen
For months, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales has been trying to stop a United Nations-backed anti-corruption investigation into his government.
Morales, a stand-up comedian who ran for president in 2015 with the slogan “Not corrupt, nor a thief,” is accused of campaign finance violations. His administration is under investigation by the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, an influential international corruption panel called “CICIG” in Spanish.
Last September, Morales told CICIG investigators they were no longer welcome in Guatemala and denied a visa to lead prosecutor Ivan Velasquez. The courts quickly ruled that Velas...