Judicial Uncertainty: The Future of Accountability in Guatemala

Over the past decade, Guatemala became an unlikely rule of law success story, with notable achievements in prosecuting corruption and atrocity crimes. Behind this progress lay the work of independent judges and Guatemalan prosecutors supported by the UN’s International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG). When CICIG closed its doors early this month, it left behind looming questions on the future of the rule of law in the country. With recent presidential and congressional elections and a pending, controversial selection process for high court judges, there is much at play and much at stake for Guatemala’s future accountability efforts.

Will progress on accountability be sustained or eroded in a post-CICIG Guatemala? What are the principal challenges to judicial independence in the country, and what can policymakers inside and outside Guatemala do to protect and strengthen the rule of law? To discuss these questions, the Inter-American Dialogue is pleased to partner with the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), the Due Process of Law Foundation (DPLF), Impunity Watch, and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) to host “Judicial Uncertainty: The Future of Accountability in Guatemala.”

Follow this event on Twitter at #PostCICIG and @The_Dialogue.

WELCOME

Michael Camilleri

Director, Peter D. Bell Rule of Law Program, Inter-American Dialogue (@camillerimj)

SPEAKERS

Erika Aifán

Guatemalan High Risk Court Judge

Miguel Ángel Gálvez 

Guatemalan High Risk Court Judge (@Miguelgalvezag)

Stephen McFarland  

Former U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala

Brittany Benowitz

Chief Counsel, American Bar Association Center for Human Rights 

MODERATOR

Katya Salazar

Executive Director, Due Process of Law Foundation (@katyasalazar)

EVENT PARTNERS: