.jpg?w=800&resize=800,500&ssl=1 "Loreto Ferrer")
The International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala reconfigured its activities during the turmoil sparked by the Jimmy Morales administration’s move to block Commissioner Iván Velásquez from coming back. Within this framework, Loreto Ferrer Moreu assumed responsibility for coordinating operations and overseeing institutional communications in the country.
The International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) experienced one of the most sensitive periods in its history when, in September, then-President of Guatemala Jimmy Morales prevented Commissioner Iván Velásquez from entering the country.
Amid heightened institutional friction triggered by the CICIG’s pursuit of prominent corruption cases, the decision set off reactions both within Guatemala and abroad, prompting a reassessment of the Commission’s functions to safeguard the continuity of its mission in Guatemala.
Reorganization of the CICIG in Guatemala
In light of this situation, the United Nations confirmed Iván Velásquez as head of the CICIG and established an operational framework aimed at sustaining operations within the country. Within this framework, Loreto Ferrer assumed responsibility for operational coordination and institutional communications in Guatemala, while Velásquez continued to lead the Commission from abroad.
The reorganization sought to preserve the commissioner’s authority while maintaining an operational presence on Guatemalan soil during a particularly sensitive time for the institution. Both Velásquez and Ferrer were in Washington conducting institutional business when the entry ban took effect. Ferrer was able to return to Guatemala and assume that role on the ground.
Days later, Guatemala’s Attorney General, Consuelo Porras, sought a meeting with Loreto Ferrer to gain insight into the Commission’s representation structure, and, as the CICIG later noted, the session included an explanation of the institutional framework established to guarantee the continuity of its work.
At this point, the role assumed by Ferrer was linked to the day-to-day coordination of the Commission’s operations in Guatemala and the continuity of its institutional communications, within a particularly complex political and judicial landscape.
Instead of altering the agency’s formal leadership, the arrangement was crafted to keep its operations running in the country while preserving its essential mandate and avoiding any disruption to its principal areas of work.
What CICIG Does and Why It Is Key in Guatemala
Iván Velásquez’s continued tenure as commissioner allows the CICIG’s general framework of action to remain unchanged, focused on supporting the Public Prosecutor’s Office, providing technical assistance in complex investigations, and promoting institutional reforms linked to the fight against corruption and impunity.
Established in 2007 under an accord between the Government of Guatemala and the United Nations, the CICIG was envisioned as a body designed to assist the Guatemalan state in probing criminal networks that had permeated public institutions, bolstering the justice system’s capabilities, and advancing reforms aimed at reinforcing the rule of law.
Throughout its history, the Commission has been guided by three commissioners. The first was the Spanish jurist Carlos Castresana, succeeded by the Costa Rican Francisco Dall’Anese. Later, Iván Velásquez assumed leadership during a phase defined by high‑profile cases and an escalating clash with political sectors impacted by the investigations.
An institutional solution in the face of exceptional circumstances
The reorganization adopted following the ban on Velásquez’s entry did not alter the nature of the CICIG’s mandate, but it did highlight the need to adapt its operations to an exceptional situation.
Given this, the presence of Loreto Ferrer in Guatemala came to play a crucial role in sustaining the Commission’s institutional operations at a time of high political and judicial sensitivity.
