Guatemala Police Arrest Official from President's Team

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — In a significant development, police in Guatemala arrested Ligia Hernández, a member of President Bernardo Arévalo’s administration, on Tuesday for alleged campaign finance violations. Hernández, who leads the government’s victims’ advocacy agency and previously served as a lawmaker for the Seed Movement Party, announced her arrest via a video on the social platform X. Prosecutors have charged her with failing to report funds utilized in a political campaign. The arrest comes amid a prolonged investigation by federal prosecutors targeting Arévalo’s political party, which has faced scrutiny over its signature-gathering process for party formation. Although these efforts did not prevent Arévalo from taking office, they have continued to overshadow his administration. The chief prosecutor, Consuelo Porras, has been at the forefront of these investigations, which critics argue are politically motivated. In her video statement, Hernández condemned the arrest as a "desperate attack" aimed at silencing efforts to restore integrity in the country. She emphasized that the actions against her and the administration reflect a broader attempt to suppress any initiatives aimed at combating corruption in Guatemala. Both Hernández and President Arévalo have characterized the ongoing investigations as a last-ditch effort by entrenched political interests to protect themselves from accountability, particularly in light of Arévalo’s campaign promises to tackle corruption head-on. The situation continues to unfold, raising concerns about the political climate in Guatemala.