ARGENTINA SUPPORTS THE FIGHT AGAINST IMPUNITY

Guatemala, April 05, 2011. The Government of Argentina expressed its support to the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), signing an agreement whereby a contingent of officers will be sent to the Commission to form part of the security department.

The following signed the agreement: Ernesto Justo López, Ambassador of Argentina and Francisco Javier Dall'Anese Ruiz, CICIG Commissioner. René Mauricio Valdés, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System, was invited as witness of honor.

The Government of Argentina will send the officers to provide protection to CICIG officials and facilities. The Argentine officials will complete the duties assigned to them by the security department of the Commission and they will comply with CICIG staff rules.

Ambassador López said that the support the ten members of the National Gendarmerie would provide to CICIG was a sign of Argentina's commitment to Guatemala, United Nations and CICIG—whose praiseworthy mission is strongly supported by the Government of Argentina.

Commissioner Dall'Anese expressed his thanks to the Ambassador for the provision of human resources and said that the Commission would take full advantage of the contingent's security knowledge and experience. "This support demonstrates that a country values the work undertaken by CICIG in the fight against impunity in Guatemala," he said.