The president-elect, who will take office next Sunday, made up a team of ministers with an equal number of men and women for the first time in the history of the Central American country. The list, made up of academics, journalists and former members of other mandates, includes Jonathan Menkos in Finance, Oscar Cruz in Health, Carlos Martínez as Chancellor and Miriam Roquel – the only indigenous person – in Labor and Social Security.
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The countdown is coming to an end and Bernardo Arévalo de León is getting closer to assuming the Presidency of Guatemala. After winning the second round of the elections in August 2023 and after a judicial bid, the progressive will be inaugurated on January 14.
Although he has not yet taken office, Arévalo announced last Monday the 14 officials who will make up his cabinet. The novel aspect is that it is made up of the same number of men and women, an unprecedented fact in the history of the country.
Among the appointments, one of the most notable is that of the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Miriam Roquel, who is the only indigenous person in the Cabinet. Roquel is a lawyer specialized in human rights and was deputy attorney during Jordán Rodas' time as human rights attorney. HH., currently exiled due to complaints against the Administration of Alejandro Giammattei.
In Monday's presentation, Arévalo justified Roquel's appointment by underlining that they are looking for members from different cultures, although he stressed that “they were indebted to multiculturalism.”
Another notable appointment is that of diplomat Carlos Martínez who will take charge of the Foreign Affairs portfolio. Martínez was vice minister four times in this area, the last being during the Giammattei Government.
Next to @KarinHerreraVPwe are very pleased to present #YourCabinetwho will accompany us in the mission of transforming Guatemala and making it a country in which its people can live with dignity. #GuatemalaAvanza starting January 14, and moving forward with everyone. Tea…
— Bernardo Arévalo (@BArevalodeLeon) January 8, 2024
Jonathan Menkos, who was elected as a deputy, will be in charge of the Ministry of Finance and Gabriela García Quinn in Economy. Another important portfolio like that of Health will be in the hands of Oscar Cordón Cruz.
Some of the criticism that fell on the new Guatemalan Cabinet pointed to the presence of Jazmín de la Vega, who will serve as Minister of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing. She was targeted for having close ties to the Guatemalan Chamber of Construction, where she is a member of the Board of Directors.
De la Vega, also a former administrative manager of the Electric Company, had roles during the governments of Óscar Berger and Otto Pérez Molina.
Another controversial character was Francisco Jiménez Irungaray, the new Minister of the Interior, a role he held for six months in the Presidency of Álvaro Colom. The new official was brought to justice by the International Commission against Impunity, for a corruption case. However, since it was dismissed, Arévalo included it.
In other portfolios, Maynor Estrada was assigned to Agriculture, Henry Sáenz Ramos to Defense and Abelardo Pinto to Social Development. In addition, the list of women is completed by Anabella Giracca as Minister of Education, Anayté Guardado in Energy and Mines, Liwy Grazioso Sierra in Culture and Sports and María José Iturbide at the head of Environment and Natural Resources.
Arévalo will come to power on Sunday after the Public Ministry tried to question his legitimacy as a candidate and the Semilla Party. Even the next president publicly denounced the head of the Prosecutor's Office, Consuelo Porras, and accused her of attempting a coup d'état.
However, the pushes from the Prosecutor's Office have been rejected by foreign organizations and the United States, who consider that the electoral process was correct and that it is an attempt at destabilization.
With AP and local media
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