The president of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, appointed attorney Gabriel Estuardo García Luna as the new attorney general and head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for the 2026-2030 term, replacing Consuelo Porras, who left office after eight years at the helm of the institution.
Arévalo announced the appointment on May 5, 2026, and it is considered a significant change for anti-corruption policy and the functioning of Guatemala’s justice system. García Luna officially took office on May 17.
Porras had faced international sanctions due to corruption allegations. Both Washington and the European Union had placed the former prosecutor on their sanctions lists, following sharp condemnation regarding the Public Prosecutor’s Office’s conduct during her time in office.
The shift additionally ushered in a fresh chapter for the Prosecutor’s Office. Soon following his appointment, García Luna unveiled systemic overhauls, which involved shutting down the Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity (FECI), an office that had functioned as a pivotal pillar in graft probes throughout the prior years.
The arrival of the new attorney general raised expectations of a possible review of actions carried out during the previous administration. Among the initial announcements was the creation of a commission to examine cases involving people who had faced legal proceedings or had been forced to leave the country during Porras’s tenure.
The leadership change was not limited to the head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. In the following weeks, García Luna also introduced changes at various levels of the institution. Among the officials removed was Rafael Curruchiche, who headed FECI and had been identified as one of Porras’s main collaborators.
With these moves, the Public Prosecutor’s Office began a reorganization that marks the start of a new administration. The scope of the reforms and their impact on corruption investigations and other judicial proceedings will be among the main issues to watch during García Luna’s term.
Source: Deutsche Welle (DW) — https://www.dw.com/es/guatemala-reemplazan-a-fiscal-sancionada-consuelo-porras/a-77060171
