She set an example of love, courage, and service for all whose lives she touched. The Summer 2026 edition of El Quetzal, from The Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC), has recently been published. The recent renewal of key leadership within the justice system, particularly the appointment of a new Attorney General, has contributed to a less confrontational climate and opened the possibility for long-awaited institutional change.

Shared by Amnesty UK, Lawyers for Lawyers has joined the statement of the International Mission of Jurists for Guatemala following the appointment of Gabriel García Luna as the new Attorney General of the Republic and Head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Guatemala, who will assume office on 18 May 2026. In the context of this appointment, the Mission underscores that a genuine democratic transition is essential to reverse the patterns of criminalisation against lawyers and other justice operators in Guatemala.

Juan Francisco Sandoval, the former head of Guatemala’s Special Prosecutor’s Office Against Impunity (FECI). writes in El Faro English about the need for Guatemala to discuss and tackle the systemic issues at the heart of the judicial system. There is little to be gained by proclaiming the winner in a race unless there are genuine attempts to tackle the rules of the race as well.

Judge Miguel Ángel Gálvez shares, through the Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC), his thoughts following the inauguration of Gabriel Estuardo García Luna as the new Attorney General. He examines how, under the administration of María Consuelo Porras, the Guatemalan judicial system was turned into a selective mechanism of intimidation against independent justice operators, indigenous peoples, human rights defenders, journalists, and lawyers.

Marlies Stappers and Denis Martinez write in Impunity Watch about the newly appointed Attorney General, Gabriel García Luna, and the disastrous legacy of the previous AG, Consuelo Porras. The piece covers the various attempts of the incumbent AG to remain in a position of power within the judicial system and talks of the other judicial elections in Guatemala which are, themselves, of significance.

A new attorney general took office in Guatemala amid calls to restore confidence after his predecessor fueled the ranks of exiles and prisoners of conscience. This removes what President Arévalo had long called an obstacle: an adversary as top prosecutor. Yuliana Ramazzini writes in El Faro English on the new Attorney General in Guatemala and the challenges ahead. The piece outlines some of the twists and turns in the process and the various ways in which Consuelo Porras sought to remain in power, at some level.

Ana María Méndez Dardón recently wrote in Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) about the challenges facing the rule of law in Guatemala as it seeks to select a new Attorney General and how Washington may, or may not, engage. Guatemala once again faces a pivotal opportunity to restore democratic institutions and rebuild the rule of law by selecting a new Attorney General.

Guatemala’s Attorney General for 8 years is bound to leave her office. She has been the nightmare of anticorruption prosecutors, human rights activists and transitional justice advocates. But does it signal profound change? Jody García writes in Justice Info on the major change to the post of Attorney General with the removal of Consuelo Porras from the list of prospective candidates.

José Enrique Arrioja writes in Americas Quarterly about the continuing challenges facing President Arévalo in the face of gang violence, institutional corruption and high disapproval rates. From the moment he took office, President Bernardo Arévalo raised expectations with his talk of a “democratic spring”—bringing not just prosperity, but a sense of institutional calm to Guatemala. In some respects, the most progressive leader in the country’s recent history has delivered.

Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC) recently posted a report by Juan Francisco Sandoval, former head of the Special Office Against Impunity in Guatemala, now in exile. The report explains the critical moment Guatemala is entering. President Arévalo will receive a shortlist of candidates for the attorney general position by April 17 and will make his selection by May 17. Among the candidates is current Attorney General Consuelo Porras, who has been sanctioned for corruption by more than 43 countries.

“People have confidence in journalism. With my work I have wanted to honor journalists who gave their lives for a free society.” An interview with José Rubén Zamora was carried out by Carlos F. Chamorro of Confidencial and was translated into English and posted in the Havana Times. Thanks also to Rights Action. In the interview he talks about, amongst other things, how he survived the solitude while in prison, about the cruelty of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (

Roman Gressier writes in El Faro English on the allegations of historical illegal adoptions and the alleged role of a high-ranking official in Guatemala, namely the current Attorney General, Consuelo Porras. It appears that a record of the position in which she signed off on them is absent from her re-election portfolio. Information recently submitted to a United Nations group of experts implicates Guatemala’s Attorney General, Consuelo Porras, in at least 80 “allegations of illegal adoptions” committed by the State between 1968 and 1996.

Consuelo Porras’s second term as Attorney General of Guatemala will end on May 17, 2026. This presents an opportunity for the next head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Ministerio Público — MP) to review institutional policies and practices that instrumentalize criminal law to evict indigenous communities from their ancestral lands for the benefit of companies and landowners who claim ownership of the lands.

Roman Gressier, Yuliana Ramazzini and Carlos Barrera write in El Faro English on the startling developments that have overtaken the Government of Bernardo Arévalo at the beginning of his third term. The events started off as a series of gang-related prison riots, followed by their quelling, escalated to the murder of nine police officers by the 18th Street gang.