US suspends cooperation with Guatemala attorney general

The U.S. government has suspended cooperation with Guatemala’s Attorney General’s Office in response to the firing of its top anti-corruption prosecutor, saying it has “lost confidence” in the Central American country’s willingness to fight corruption

GUATEMALA CITY -- The U.S. government has suspended cooperation with Guatemala’s Attorney General’s Office in response to the firing of its top anti-corruption prosecutor, saying Tuesday that it has “lost confidence” in the Central American country’s willingness to fight corruption. U.S. State Department deputy spokeswoman Jalina Porter told reporters in Washington that the decision by Guatemala Attorney General Consuelo Porras to fire Juan Francisco Sandoval, the special prosecutor against impunity, “fits a pattern of behavior that indicates a lack of commitment to the rule of law and independent, judicial, and prosecutorial processes.” “As a result, we have lost confidence in the attorney general and the intention to cooperate with the U.S. government and fight corruption in good faith,” Porter said. She said the suspension would remain in effect while the U.S. reviews its assistance to the Attorney General’s Office.