Reiterating the commitment to combat financial crimes to provide a prompt and effective response to crime victims, Mrs. María Consuelo Porras Argueta held a working meeting to follow up on the formation of the technical committee with authorities from the Public Ministry, the Superintendency of Banks, and the Guatemalan Banking Association. Topics such as financial education, prevention of financial crimes, among others, were discussed.

Following the meeting held with the Banking Association on March 20, 2024, this is the first working meeting of the technical committee, in which the Public Ministry is represented by a multidisciplinary team composed of authorities from the Criminal Analysis Directorate, the Immediate Reaction Unit, the Criminal Policy Secretariat, and the Regional Prosecutors’ Offices, Asset Forfeiture, Organized Crime, Metropolitan District, and Transnational Crime.

During the meeting, the Criminal Analysis Directorate presented a strategic analysis of the criminal phenomenon so that each institution can address its actions in a timely manner within the framework of its respective competencies. These actions aim to provide an immediate and effective response to Guatemalan citizens who are victims of financial crimes, scams, and cybercrimes, understanding that inter-institutional work is of utmost importance for the comprehensive approach to cases.

The Superintendent of Banks, Mr. Saulo De León, expressed his support for Mrs. María Consuelo Porras’s proposal: «I agree with Mrs. Porras’s proposal to involve other very important actors who understand the environment in which financial transactions take place. We understand that organized crime is targeting users of banking entities, and this attack is taking advantage of a weak legal environment. I propose that the committee evaluate an ideal legal framework to tackle these cybercrime offenses.»

On his part, the President of the Banking Association, Mr. Luis Fernando Samayoa, expressed gratitude for the invitation to participate in the technical committee led by the Public Ministry: «On Monday, we had our assembly, and I mentioned that we are having meetings with the Public Ministry together with the SIB to carry out what is necessary to mitigate this risk. In some way, banking institutions want to be joint plaintiffs in this situation. In an appropriate and conducive manner, we will identify the individuals who have provided their accounts to commit these crimes to report them to the authorities and have them marked as part of the crime. However, it is of utmost importance that they understand the consequences of these actions.»

In this regard, Mr. María Consuelo Porras Argueta reaffirmed the commitment she has to the Guatemalan citizens to provide prompt and fulfilled justice: «We emphasize that as an institution, we seek to provide a timely, prompt, and fulfilled response to the Guatemalan population regarding the criminal phenomena that affects them.

April 11, 2024