The United States sanctioned the former president of Guatemala Alejandro Giammattei this Wednesday (2020-2024), prohibiting him from entering his territory and accusing him of having participated in corruption during his mandate.
(Also read: President of Guatemala cites the attorney general who tried to prevent his inauguration).
In a statement, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller assures that The US has “credible information” indicating that the former president “accepted bribes in exchange for the performance of his public duties” during his mandate, which ended this Sunday with the inauguration of Bernardo Arévalo de León.
Giammattei's actions, Miller stressed, “undermined the order of law and government transparency” in Guatemala.
“The United States has made clear that it supports Guatemalans who seek to hold corrupt representatives accountable,” the statement added.
President Bernardo Arévalo and President Gustavo Petro in the inauguration that took place in the early morning.
The measure, the State Department added, also prohibits the former president's children from entering US soil: Ana Marcela Giammattei, Alejandro Eduardo Giammattei and Stefano Giammattei.
(Keep reading: The new obstacle course that Bernardo Arévalo undertakes to transform Guatemala).
The decision to sanction the former Guatemalan president comes a few days after the inauguration of Arévalo, who achieved victory with an anti-corruption campaign.
The transfer of power in Guatemala and the previous electoral process was marked by the attempts of the Public Ministry (Prosecutor's Office) and the previous Congress for hindering the arrival of the new Government.
![Alejandro Giammattei](https://www.eltiempo.com/files/article_content_new/uploads/2023/01/20/63cb1fbf29eec.jpeg)
President of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei.
On the other hand, Giammattei was sworn in as a deputy to the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) for the period 2024-2028so he maintains immunity in the event of any judicial accusation against him.
Giammattei and former vice president Guillermo Castillo took their oath of office before Parlacen virtually on Tuesday, as confirmed this Wednesday by political sources and local media.
(We recommend: Guatemala: why was President Bernardo Arévalo's inauguration delayed more than 10 hours?).
Additionally, the U.S. Treasury Department agreed to impose an economic sanction on former Guatemalan Energy Minister Alberto Pimentel, who was part of Giammattei's cabinet until July of last year.
The US also accused Pimentel of having received bribes while in office, specifically in exchange for contracts and licenses for mining and energy exploitation in the country.
Since 2021, the US has imposed corruption sanctions on more than 400 Guatemalan individuals and entities, including Attorney General Consuelo Porras.
EFE
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