During the conference, which was attended by Ángel Arnoldo Pineda Ávila, Secretary General of the Public Ministry; Erick Eduardo Schaeffer Cabrera, First Deputy Secretary General; Dimas Jiménez y Jiménez, Metropolitan Regional Prosecutor; and Klayber Bladimiro Sical Jiménez and Dennis Waldemar Cisneros Torres; Dimas Jiménez y Jiménez, Metropolitan Regional Prosecutor, and Klayber Bladimiro Sical Jiménez and Dennis Waldemar Cisneros Torres, Section and Deputy Section Prosecutors, respectively, of the Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime, announced the capture of Luis Haroldo Pacheco Gutiérrez and Héctor Manuel Chaclán Batz, who had arrest warrants in force for at least five crimes.

Mr. Pineda began his speech by reaffirming the PM’s commitment to legality, justice and the defense of the rule of law, while rejecting the statements made by President Bernardo Arévalo, whose statements he described as unfounded attacks aimed at discrediting the work of the PM.

In this sense, the Secretary General also emphasized: “What is happening is not a coup, but the fulfillment of what the Political Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala establishes as an institutional mandate of the Public Ministry: to investigate people who might have committed crimes. The law applies equally to all, without distinction, and no one, no matter how high their position, is above the law”.

He also emphasized that the work carried out by the Public Ministry is carried out in accordance with due process and duly endorsed by competent judges, and warned of the President’s attempt to flagrantly interfere in another State body (referring to the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala), with the purpose of modifying the Organic Law of the Public Ministry and, through this, favor friends and even place a person related to the political power that the President holds at the head of the Public Ministry.

“The Public Ministry will not yield to pressures, threats or attempts of co-optation. We will continue to act with legality, independence, strength and firmness, because Guatemala deserves strong, honest institutions committed to the truth”, emphasized Pineda.

In the same sense, Dimas Jiménez y Jiménez, Metropolitan Regional Prosecutor, also emphasized that the proceedings carried out today were based on a strategic, objective, technical and impartial investigation, which derived from multiple complaints filed by citizens in relation to the blockades registered in October 2023, “with which it was intended to take control of the Public Ministry to guarantee impunity to certain sectors”.

Klayber Sical, in charge of the investigation, revealed that the operation was aimed at the apprehension of five people, of which two have been captured so far. In addition, within the limits allowed by the legal reserve of the case, he indicated that the facts denounced refer to violent actions which altered the security and the constitutional state.

Sical also emphasized that the investigation has so far allowed the identification of the five persons against whom, based on the evidence gathered during the investigation, arrest warrants were issued for the crimes of illicit association, sedition, terrorism, obstruction of criminal action and obstruction of justice.

During their interventions, the authorities agreed that these actions in no way violate the right to freedom of expression and demonstration of the Guatemalan population. The officials also emphasized that it is not true that the investigation is aimed at “the 48 Cantones”, but that the people who have been preliminarily identified as accused of the alleged acts, at the time stated that they were part of this group and it has been through the investigation that a prior planning was determined, as well as the creation of targeted blockades with a criminal purpose, of which not all the people who participated in the blockades were aware, but only those accused so far.

Finally, it was announced to the media that, in addition to the arrest warrants issued, a request for withdrawal of pre-trial proceedings will be filed against Edgar Benjamín Tuy Bixcul, departmental governor of Sololá, through which the competent authorities will determine the feasibility of stripping the official of said prerogative and initiate the corresponding investigation.

Guatemala, April 23, 2025