CICIG - The International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala
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At the forum "Young and Committed", Commissioner Iván Velásquez called upon the youth to join forces in fighting impunity.

Mexico joins the fight against impunity

Guatemala, March 29, 2012. The Government of Mexico joined the list of countries that support the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) by signing a cooperation agreement worth USD50,000.00 (GTQ387,000.00). This support will strengthen CICIG in its fight against impunity.

The document was signed by Eduardo Ibarrola, Ambassador of Mexico; Francisco Javier Dall'Anese Ruiz, CICIG Commissioner; and René Mauricio Valdés, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System. The following persons attended as special guests: Claudia Paz y Paz, Attorney General of the Republic; Erick Álvarez Mancilla, President-in-Office of the Supreme Court of Justice and the Judiciary (OJ); and Arkel Benítez Mendizábal, Vice Minister of Support for the Sector Justice of the Ministry of Interior.

“CICIG is an innovative support model for justice and the fight against impunity, which has attracted international attention, and suggestions have even been made to replicate it in other countries […]. The Commission has impelled important legislative changes as well as changes in the organization and the role of the different institutions that comprise the Guatemalan justice system,” stated Ambassador Ibarrola.

“Mexico and Guatemala are neighbors and we must fight together against organized transnational crime, youth gangs and the proliferation of ordinary law crime that leads to a number of different crimes. Organized crime not only concerns drug trafficking but also homicides, kidnappings, extortion, human trafficking, weapon trafficking and money laundering,” stressed the ambassador.

Therefore, he affirmed that to effectively fight organized crime, effective international cooperation is necessary, especially between neighboring countries, and it is not possible to act in isolation. “By supporting CICIG, we are supporting Guatemala, our neighbor," he said.

He pointed out that part of the Commission's work is to train judicial institution staff, who will be responsible for continuing the investigation work conducted by CICIG.

The fight against organized crime
The Commissioner, in his statement, emphasized that there is a common feeling shared with Mexico regarding the need to fight together against organized crime—a problem that affects all countries. “In the face of transnational crime, an issue that affects us all, we need transnational justice that defends the values of the societies to which we belong,” he declared.

The Commissioner valued the effort of the Mexican Government in making an economic contribution to the Commission, in spite of the difficult internal situation that Mexico is undergoing (due to the high crime rate) and the investments made by their authorities to restore order in the country. “This donation is testament to the confidence that the Government of Mexico and its people have in CICIG's work […]. This comes in addition to the political support that Mexico has always given us,” he added.

He described the work of Mexican and Guatemalan authorities to locate, arrest and extradite Marvin Montiel Marín as "extraordinary". In the Nicaraguan bus case, Montiel Marín is accused of murdering 16 people. “This operation reflects the extraordinary coordination that is possible when real time information is shared by the new Public Prosecutor's Office (MP), and the operations that can be conducted when the Ministry of Interior immediately takes action to meet the needs of public prosecutors,” he stated.

He pointed out that the existence of an international information exchange office, such as that which it is being enhanced in the MP, is the product of the recommendations that CICIG has contributed to the fight against organized crime in the country.

Work together
The Attorney General, Claudia Paz y Paz, underscored the joint work with the Government of Mexico to solve cases. “This work has been enhanced over the past year, in which we have worked on a number of extraditions, shared information and conducted joint investigations.”

She underlined that the reduction in the number of crimes against life has been possible thanks to the efforts undertaken with the different justice institutions and the support provided by CICIG. “These joint efforts are evidenced by the transfer of capacities, as seen in the paradigmatic cases of CICIG's mandate, which consists in bringing to justice organizations that seek to generate impunity.”

The Attorney General pointed out that among the cases brought before the courts are proceedings against National Civil Police officers who are implicated in the smuggling of fuel, and proceedings against members of organizations that, from within the State, have committed serious human rights violations or have become entrenched in the judicial system.

René Mauricio Valdés, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System, expressed his appreciation for the economic contribution and the technical support that the Government of Mexico has provided to the Commission. “The international community's support for the efforts of justice institutions and the Commission will allow them to achieve continued progress in the fight against impunity in the country,” he declared.

Listen to statements

Eduardo Ibarrola, Ambassador of Mexico
Commissioner Francisco Javier Dall´Anese Ruiz
Claudia Paz y Paz, Attorney General
René Mauricio Valdés, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System
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        About Guatemala
  The Republic of Guatemala, a mountainous country that lies in the Central American isthmus, has an estimated population of 13 million people.
  Guatemala won its independence in 1821, following almost three centuries of Spanish colonial rule.
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