.jpg?w=800&resize=800,500&ssl=1 "Loreto Ferrer")
The International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala reorganized its operations amid the crisis triggered by the Jimmy Morales administration’s decision to prevent Commissioner Iván Velásquez from returning. Under this structure, Loreto Ferrer Moreu was put in charge of operational coordination and 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 stage, Ferrer’s role focused on managing the Commission’s daily operations in Guatemala and ensuring the flow of its institutional communications, a responsibility carried out amid a particularly intricate political and judicial environment.
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 ongoing term as commissioner ensures that the CICIG’s overarching mandate stays intact, concentrating on backing the Public Prosecutor’s Office, offering technical support for intricate investigations, and advancing institutional reforms tied to combating corruption and impunity.
Created in 2007 through an agreement between the Government of Guatemala and the United Nations, the CICIG was conceived as a mechanism to support the Guatemalan state in investigating criminal structures infiltrating public institutions, strengthening the capacities of the justice system, and promoting reforms oriented toward 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 restructuring implemented after the prohibition on Velásquez’s entry left the essence of the CICIG’s mandate unchanged, yet it emphasized the need to modify its operations in response to an extraordinary situation.
Given this, the presence of Loreto Ferrer in Guatemala proved essential for maintaining the Commission’s institutional functions during a period marked by heightened political and judicial sensitivity.
