The president of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, assured that the Public Ministry (MP, Prosecutor’s Office) of his country is investigating the Colombian Defense Minister, Iván Velásquez, and in no case is it a “criminal prosecution“.
(In context: Why Guatemala wants to bring the Colombian Defense Minister to justice)
This Tuesday, President Gustavo Petro called his ambassador in Guatemala for consultations after the Public Ministry of the Central American country warned that it intends to prosecute Velásquez for his role at the head of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (Cicig) between 2013 and 2017.
Hours later, Giammattei also called the Guatemalan ambassador to Colombia, Reagan Vega, for consultations.
“I am going to let President Petro continue to make the mistake of a guerrilla, but that is not very political. I will not fall for the game. Differences between nations must be resolved diplomatically to prevent conflicts from escalating later to places where it is already difficult to get out,” Giammattei said in an interview with EFE in Madrid.
In addition, the president of Guatemala stated the following: “Unlike there (Colombia), as far as I know, and I don’t get involved in the internal affairs of countries, they are releasing drug traffickers, people who murdered people during the armed conflict “There they and their Justice. In my country, if we have sought something, it is the independence of the powers of the State.”
(See: Guatemala responds to Petro and calls its ambassador in Colombia for consultation)
According to the Guatemalan president, in his country, there is “total and absolute independence and total respect for the decisions of judges and magistrates“. And he added: “That I can agree or not is another matter, but my obligation as a citizen is to respect what the judges and courts dictate.”
This Tuesday, January 17, the United States Department of State, through one of its undersecretaries, expressed its concern about the “arrest warrants issued by the Guatemalan Public Ministry against people who worked to guarantee accountability for corruption in the Odebrecht case in Guatemala,” wrote Brian Nichols.
And he added that these actions weaken the rule of law and confidence in the Guatemalan justice system.
(We recommend: The prosecutor who accuses Iván Velásquez is on the US corrupt list.)
We are concerned about the arrest warrants for the @MPguatemala against people who worked to guarantee the #Accountability for corruption in the Odebrecht case in Guatemala. Such actions weaken the #Rule of law and confidence in the Guatemalan justice system.
— Brian A. Nichols (@WHAAsstSecty) January 17, 2023
Investigation, not persecution
Giammattei insisted that what is open against Velásquez in Guatemala is an investigation process, “which is very different from a criminal prosecution process. It would be good if someone enlightens Mr. Petro on the difference between one and the other“.
“So far there is no arrest warrant. There is an investigation process and I think many things could have been clarified,” he added.
(Also: Government in full: the iron defense of the Ministry of Defense after the accusation of Guatemala)
The president of Guatemala indicated that, in response to the withdrawal of the Colombian ambassador in his country, they are doing the same in Colombia.
“Last week I received the credentials of the Colombian ambassador who sent me a message from President Petro that was totally different from what he is now declaring,” he recalled.
For this reason, Giammattei stressed, “I would call for sanity. This is a problem that can be seen from the foreign ministries and any explanation they require can be given with pleasure.”
And he ruled out the idea of being able to speak with Gustavo Petro directly: “I think it is unnecessary, first of all because he insulted my country during the campaign and never apologized. In fact, at his inauguration, the one who represented us was the ambassador. No one from the government was.”
“In this case, I would tell Mr. Petro – perhaps the problem is that after having been persecuted and trafficked and everything, he does not understand the situation very much – that withdrawing the ambassadors the only thing that puts us is on the verge of breaking and I love Colombia very much, I have known it for many years, I have absolute respect for the Colombian people. I have been there many times,” said the president of Guatemala.
(Also: Strong criticism of the Petro government for accusations against Iván Velásquez)
In the interview with EFE, the president of Guatemala argued that, after more than 200 years of diplomatic, cultural and cooperation relations “throwing them to the trash for an investigation process that does not even know how it will end is absurd.”
“I trust that someone will advise Petro. If he has a doubt, that’s what the foreign ministers are for, the diplomatic missions, the power through us to open a dialogue with the people who carry out the investigations, because they caught me by surprise,” he said.
“Going out ranting does not benefit anyone, not even himself,” concluded Giammattei, who did not want to continue the conversation on that topic “so as not to make the mistake of offending as we were offended without reason.”
“Sometimes when it comes to issues of relations between countries, the last thing there should be is an unthought, unmeditated response. If that were the case, the whole world would live at war,” he said.
THETIME.COM*
With information from EFE.
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