Guatemala, April 27, 2012. Under its mandate, the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) can participate in criminal proceedings as a complementary prosecutor, and thus it has been able to support the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) in more than 50 high-impact cases that have been investigated in the courts. To date, 11 convictions have been achieved.

There has also been the acquittal in the Portillo case (currently at the appeals stage) with the dissenting opinion of Judge Morelia Ríos Arana, who found sufficient evidence against the three accused parties to the proceeding to convict them.

In accordance with Guatemalan law, as a complementary prosecutor CICIG can carry out criminal prosecutions or join prosecutions begun by the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) in cases related to crimes allegedly committed by members of criminal structures that fall under the Commission's mandate. This makes it possible for CICIG to cooperate with the MP in such cases and support the fact-finding process; request the performance and examination of investigative actions, pursuant to Guatemalan law; and participate directly in criminal trials.