“An anchor that chains us to the past and it prevents us from growing, from prospering and building a society which is based on the common good.” This was how Guatemala’s President Bernardo Arévalo described corruption in his address to the United Nations General Assembly on 24 September. Having won the August 2023 election by a landslide on the pledge to take on the so-called ‘pacto de corruptos’ network of institutional corruption, Arévalo’s comments come as the crucial process of electing new judges to the supreme court (CSJ), a body hitherto largely aligned with the ‘pacto’, is underway. The composition of the new 13-member CSJ will likely prove critical to Arévalo’s efforts to make good on his pledge – efforts already challenged by figures such as the discredited attorney general, María Consuelo Porras, who is also identified with the ‘pacto’.End of preview - This article contains approximately 658 words.
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