The Attorney General of the Republic and Chief of the Public Ministry (PM), Mrs. María Consuelo Porras Argueta, participated in a session with the Commission on Public Finance and Currency of Congress, as part of the study and ruling process of Bill 6444, related to the General Budget of Revenues and Expenditures for the Fiscal Year 2025.

Mrs. Porras Argueta was accompanied by her team, including the Secretary-General, Mr. Ángel Pineda; the First Deputy Secretary General, Mr. Erick Schaeffer; the Administrative Chief, Mr. Jonas Hernández; the Financial Director, Mrs. Fulvia Liseth Ruiz Palacios; the Head of the Secretariat for Planning, Analysis, and Institutional Development, Mr. Marco Aurelio Ramírez; the National Coordinator of the Integrated IT System, Engineer Chief of the Information and Press Department, Mr. Juan Luis Pantaleón.

During her address, the Attorney General presented the deputies with the results of various strategic actions implemented during her administration, demonstrating that the resources allocated to the Public Ministry´s Office have been used efficiently to benefit the Guatemalan population.

Mrs. Porras Argueta emphasized the achievements since she took office in May 2018, positioning the institution and the country as benchmarks in combating and addressing various crimes. To maintain and enhance the quality of services and projects benefiting the population, a budget of Q4,891,040,652 is necessary.

This amount is primarily intended to cover operational and investment expenses, which are crucial to strengthening and expanding operations nationwide, in line with the responsibilities conferred by the Political Constitution of the Republic and the Organic Law of the Public Ministry’s Office.

However, the Ministry of Public Finance has set a budget ceiling of Q3,800,000,000, which is insufficient to meet the institution’s needs in its fiscal, technical, and administrative areas that provide national coverage. Since 2018, the Public Ministry’s Office has grown threefold compared to its prior state, reaching the top position in efficiency within the justice sector, with the resolution of 4,125,106 cases.

In addition to the requested budget for 2025, Q255.7 million is required to pay specific judicial rulings for the companies Globalcorp International S.A. and Concreto Preforzado de Centro América S.A.

The gap between the assigned budget ceiling and the minimum requested budget reflects a deficit of Q1.091 billion for operations and investment, plus Q255.7 million for the payment of court judgments. This shortfall limits the institution’s ability to fulfill its constitutional mandate under Article 251 of the Political Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala and Congressional Decree No. 40-94, the “Organic Law of the Public Ministry’s Office.”

To ensure efficient work and an institution properly certified with quality standards, the following projects are planned:

• Creation of 41 Women’s Prosecutor’s Offices nationwide.
• Establishment of prosecutor’s offices specializing in extortion in high-incidence municipalities starting in 2024.
• Creation of prosecutor’s offices for crimes against life and personal integrity.
• Implementation of comprehensive care models for women, children, and migrants.
• Recertification of ISO quality standards.
• Strengthening the special investigative methods unit.
• Digital transformation of the Public Ministry’s Office.
• Implementation of technological applications for citizen services.
• Strengthening of strategic criminal prosecution and the fight against organized crime and corruption.

Investment and construction projects for the Public Ministry’s Office buildings

For Fiscal Year 2025, the Public Ministry’s Office, thanks to donated land, plans an initial investment of approximately Q50 million for the construction of buildings for the following branches:

1. Municipal Prosecutor’s Office in San Juan Sacatepéquez, Guatemala.
2. Women’s Prosecutor’s Office and Extortion Prosecutor’s Office in Coatepeque, Quetzaltenango.
3. Municipal Prosecutor’s Office in Jalpatagua, Jutiapa.
4. Municipal Prosecutor’s Office in La Libertad, Petén.
5. Regional Warehouse in Poptún, Petén.
6. District Prosecutor’s Office in Jalapa, Jalapa.
7. District Prosecutor’s Office and Women’s Prosecutor’s Office in Chiquimula.
8. Municipal Prosecutor’s Office in Mixco.
9. District Prosecutor’s Office in Quiché.

Achievements

With the implementation of prosecutor’s offices in all municipalities, 100% coverage has been achieved in the country’s 340 municipalities. The Public Ministry’s Office has expanded from 179 prosecutor’s units in 2018 to 591 as of September 2024, representing a 300% increase.

Actions to reduce the backlog of cases

When taking office in May 2018, the Public Ministry’s Office faced a backlog of 1,266,637 complaints. Thanks to strategic actions, this backlog has been reduced by 99%, resolving 1,258,415 cases. From May 2018 to September 2024, 2,940,508 complaints have been received, of which 97% have been resolved.

Implemented strategies

• Creation of 276 Prosecutor’s Offices in all municipalities.
• Establishment of 412 units to address criminal phenomena.
• Creation of specialized units for joint investigations with U.S. agencies.
• Implementation of a new Comprehensive Case Management Model.
• Creation of an interconnection system with over 30 institutions.
• Digitalization of cases and the creation of an electronic file.
• Creation of technological applications for case management and victim services.

These actions have allowed the Public Ministry’s Office to significantly advance its mission of justice and service to Guatemalan citizens.

Guatemala, October 22, 2024