Guatemala’s International Commission Against Impunity : A Case Study on Institutions and Rule of Law
In the last years of the armed conflict, some of the actors that have participated in those clandestine operations re-adapted their modus operandi to fit other types of criminal activities such as customs corruption, large scale smuggling of goods,...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2017
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/534881487589060782/World-development-report-2017-Guatemala-s-international-commission-against-impunity-a-case-study-on-institutions-and-rule-of-law http://hdl.handle.net/10986/26194 |
| Summary: | In the last years of the armed conflict,
some of the actors that have participated in those
clandestine operations re-adapted their modus operandi to
fit other types of criminal activities such as customs
corruption, large scale smuggling of goods, extortion and
kidnapping for economic purposes, and drug trafficking.
Control of borders and logistical corridors became also an
important feature for their operations, which in turn led to
political control of territories and linkages with
politicians. In the last years of the armed conflict, some
of the actors that have participated in those clandestine
operations re-adapted their modus operandi to fit other
types of criminal activities such as customs corruption,
large scale smuggling of goods, extortion and kidnapping for
economic purposes, and drug trafficking. Control of borders
and logistical corridors became also an important feature
for their operations, which in turn led to political control
of territories and linkages with politicians. International
Commission to Fight Impunity (CICIG) has played a critical
role in using and promoting a legislative framework that
enhances criminal prosecution in Guatemala. In this regard,
some national laws have been critical for its work. First,
the Law Against Organized Crime (LCCO) approved in 2006,
before CICIG´s creation. However, CICIG requested the
Guatemalan Congress to consider some reforms in 2009 to
allow for more prosecutorial power, using instruments widely
known in criminal law but inexistent in Guatemalan legal
framework at that time. The reforms were approved, and since
then CICIG and the Attorney General Office have used
extensively their enhanced capacity. |
|---|