The concerted campaign by Guatemala’s political and economic elites to undermine key gains made in the country’s long-running struggle against high-level corruption and impunity has taken a new turn.
Several women within the justice system have played a crucial role in this struggle – challenging not only elite interests, but also gender norms in a patriarchal and conservative society. Unfortunately, these same women have also suffered the consequences. They have faced unprecedented judicial harassment and persecution, with far-reaching personal impacts.
Judge Gloria Porras, a lawyer who is widely known for her commitment to combating impunity and corruption, is the latest victim of this process. Porras has served as a judge on the Constitutional Court for the last ten years, and as the court’s president since 2020. But on 13 April, Congress refused to swear her in for a new five-year term as magistrate, based on false arguments of procedural error in her nomination process.
