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 shift extended beyond the top post at the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Over the following weeks, García Luna likewise implemented structural adjustments across multiple tiers of the agency. Rafael Curruchiche, who led FECI and was widely recognized as a key ally of Porras, numbered among the dismissed officials.
Through these actions, the Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated a restructuring that signals the beginning of a fresh administration. The extent of these overhauls and their influence on graft inquiries as well as other legal processes will stand out as primary focal points to observe throughout García Luna’s tenure.
Source: Deutsche Welle (DW) — https://www.dw.com/es/guatemala-reemplazan-a-fiscal-sancionada-consuelo-porras/a-77060171
