Attorney General and Chief of the Public Ministry, Mrs. María Consuelo Porras Argueta, convened a meeting with members of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Municipalities (ANAM) to present the initiatives implemented by the Public Ministry in support of municipalities and to establish future coordination in this regard.

Mrs. Porras Argueta outlined the strengthening efforts undertaken by the Public Ministry, highlighting the actions propelled by the institution for the benefit of the Guatemalan population during the period spanning from 2018 to 2023, resulting in significant institutional efficiency.

Among these actions, she emphasized the reduction of case backlog by 98%, resolution of 96% of new cases filed since May 2018, ISO 9001-2015 certification in 343 dependencies, establishment and implementation of 7 specialized units, and achieving 100% coverage of the Criminal Investigations Directorate.

Additionally, she mentioned the reinforcement of the Women’s Prosecutor’s Office, currently present in all departments, aiming to address the second most reported crime, violence against women, by proposing the creation of 41 additional agencies in municipalities with higher incidence rates.

Similar efforts are underway for the Extortion Prosecutor´s Office, which currently operates in 16 prosecution agencies across departments. However, plans are in place to expand this coverage to all departments and municipalities with the highest incidence rates of the crime.

Additionally, reference was made to the Good Governance Agreement to Promote a Culture of Transparency, Accountability, and Prevention of Corruption and Impunity. This agreement establishes mechanisms for cooperation, coordination, and inter-institutional assistance to strengthen the capacities of the signing institutions, promoting actions to improve transparency, quality of public spending, culture of integrity, accountability, and prevention of corruption and impunity to foster good governance.

Furthermore, the Inter-Institutional Coordination Office was created to contribute to improving transparency, public spending, accountability, and corruption prevention. This initiative is in response to the beginning of a new constitutional period for various government authorities, who will require guidance, orientation, monitoring, and follow-up in their public administration
roles. As a pilot plan, this initiative will be implemented with mayors.

Finally, a proposal for a bilateral agreement between the Public Ministry and ANAM was presented, aiming to promote coordinated work and strengthen community issues through security and justice for municipalities.

She emphasized the support available from the Regional Prosecutors, who represent the Attorney General in their respective regions, encouraging coordinated efforts and assuring the support of the Public Ministry at all times. ‘This will facilitate your performance; rely on this institution, which is here for your benefit,’ she concluded.

In turn, members of ANAM expressed gratitude for the attention received and, above all, for the actions implemented to support municipalities. They reiterated their commitment to working in a coordinated manner, knowing that it will benefit their own communities and have a positive impact on Guatemalans.

This meeting is yet another in a series of interinstitutional coordination efforts spearheaded by the Attorney General of the Republic and Chief of the Public Ministry, Mrs. María Consuelo Porras Argueta, aimed at encouraging institutions to collaborate for the benefit of the Guatemalan population.

In this regard, the inception of these initiatives reached the President of the Republic, who delegated authority to the Minister of the Interior, initiating effective coordination efforts. Furthermore, a meeting was recently convened with the sitting Justices of the Supreme Court, and today’s assembly was called with Leaders and Deputy Leaders of the Congressional Blocs, followed by this engagement with members of ANAM.

February 28, 202