This Monday, May 4, the deadline for the Nomination Commission to receive challenges against the payroll of six candidates for the position of attorney general expires. and head of the Public Ministry. The final day will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will mark the formal closure of the instance’s functions, in a process still conditioned by legal appeals in the Constitutional Court, which until now has not met to hear them.
The reception of signs opened on three dates: April 29 and 30 and this May 4. The calendar was adjusted due to the Labor Day holiday and the weekend, which extended the period of cross-outs within the process.
The dispute
Although the period of challenges ends, legal uncertainty persists. Until May 1, the CC accumulated around 12 protections related to the integration of the payroll, several still without resolution and without the plenary session having heard them.
These include an action filed on April 25 by lawyer David Alberto Juárez Aldana, who seeks to annul the current list and order a new evaluation of files, with adjustments to the qualification criteria.
The current roster was integrated after an order from the constitutional court that annulled the previous list, which keeps the process under constant review.
countdown
In parallel, President Bernardo Arévalo has already completed the round of interviews with the six candidates, carried out between April 28 and 30, in accordance with the order of points.
During these meetings, the president focused the analysis on the challenges of the investigating entity, especially around allegations of interference by political-criminal structures and the need to reinforce its independence.
Although versions have emerged about possible favorites, the Executive remains reserved. The appointment, according to the General Secretariat of the Presidency, will be announced in the week prior to May 17, when the new attorney general must take office for the period 2026-2030.
The process enters its decisive phase, with defined deadlines, but still subject to what the CC resolves—and when it does so. The outcome will have direct effects on the institutions of Guatemala in the coming years.
Aspirants present plans to Arévalo
The interviews with the six candidates marked the final phase prior to the appointment of the new head of the Public Ministry.
On April 30, President Bernardo Arévalo concluded the round of interviews with the six candidates to lead the Public Ministry, in a process focused on evaluating proposals, track record and capacity to face institutional challenges. During the meetings, the candidates agreed to present their plans to strengthen the institution. Carlos Alberto García Alvarado proposed modernizing criminal prosecution, adapting it to transnational and digital crimes, in addition to strengthening coordination with the National Civil Police (PNC), without compromising the autonomy of the MP.
Along the same lines, Julio César Rivera Clavería focused his presentation on his management proposal, which he described as the central axis of the interview, while Néctor Guilebaldo de León Ramírez detailed seven priority areas, including internal training and adjustments in schedules to improve efficiency.
The applicants also addressed the relationship between the Public Ministry and the Executive. De León stressed the importance of maintaining institutional communication without losing independence, while César Augusto Ávila Aparicio highlighted that this type of evaluation strengthens the coordination between State entities. Ávila described the interview as direct and objective, although he avoided delving into the specific topics discussed.
On the first day, Gabriel Estuardo García Luna limited his statements to pointing out that the conversation revolved around his work plan. For her part, Beyla Estrada Barrientos presented her experience in the justice system, which includes functions in the MP, private litigation and a magistracy in the Judicial Branch. The interviews took place between April 28 and 30, within the legal period that allows the Executive to move forward while challenges to the payroll are received. With this stage concluded, the president will analyze the files before announcing his decision. The new attorney general must take office on May 17, replacing Consuelo Porras Argueta, whose mandate ends after two consecutive terms.
