Evidence presented against Conrado Reyes

Today, Carlos Castresana, ex-commissioner for the CICIG revealed evidence against ex-attorney general Conrado Reyes acquired through CICIG investigations. Through wire tapping and document seizure, the CICIG exposed more members of an organized and powerful ring of collaborators that tried to design a smear campaign against Castresana, invalidate the work of the CICIG, and halt the investigation into the Valdés Paiz brothers, who are currently wanted in Guatemala for orchestrating the assassination/suicide of Rodrigo Rosenberg.

A Note on the Rosenberg Case:

In May of 2009, a You Tube video of Rosenberg accusing President Colóm, First Lady Sandra de Colóm and presidential secretary Gustavo Alejos of planning his murder caused a national uproar and threatened to destabilize the state. Later, a CICIG investigation concluded that Rosenberg, disturbed by his partial responsibility for the murder of the Musas, planned and orchestrated his own assassination. The case is elaborate and confusing; most are still unsatisfied, even with the CICIG´s conclusions.

Castresana´s evidence puts the president in a very difficult position. The role of the CICIG during the attorney general selection process was to advise President Colóm on the integrity of the candidates. It is unclear whether or not Castresana advised Colóm not to appoint Reyes to the attorney general position, or if the evidence against Reyes was inconclusive prior to recent announcements. Additionally, civil society leaders like Helen Mack, Rigoberta Menchú and Nineth Montenegro compelled the president to react to the accusations and dismiss Reyes. Prior to their insistence, Colóm was silent and inactive. Instead, the Constitutional Court annulled the appointment of Reyes, instituted María Mejía as the interim attorney general, and began the process to find a replacement. Is Colóm´s weak position a reflection on his personal vulnerability, or on the vulnerability of his political position, or is it a reason to suspect his involvement with the organized crime ring? Though I was pleased that Castresana managed to absolve Colóm from involvement in the Rosenberg case,

why hasn´t he publicly shared any evidence for or against the president himself? Would evidence collected by the CICIG against the president be sufficient grounds for his impeachment, or worse?

Additionally, what are likely to be the consequences of these accusations for those implicated, especially now that Castresana is not in Guatemala to continue to direct the investigations? Once again, I wonder what will happen to those policemen, prosecutors and judges that believed in the CICIG investigation and joined the good fight for justice. Unlike Castresana, they cannot leave the country even when they face very realistic threats. Will Castresana continue to make accusations and present evidence from outside of the country?

Unlike the firm evidence he presented against Reyes, the smear campaign against

Castresana is composed of unsubstantiated accusations that he is living together with a Jamaican wo

man, Tomalja Audrey Harris, hired to work with the CICIG for $7,000 a month. On the blog of journalist Jorge Palmieri, I found this very suspicious (!!!) photo of said Jamaican, her mother and Castresana at the Hotel Intercontinental in Guatemala City: http://jorgepalmieri.com/page/2/ Though many grumble about Castresana´s US$25,000 a month, I think that is fair for his skills, experience, and the risk that accompanied his position as commissioner of the CICIG.

Some Characters to Remember:

• Diego Moreno Botrán: family relation of the Valdez Paiz brothers, responsible for hiding the fugitives since December of 2009, and now a fugitive himself.
• Juan Miguel Fuxet, manager of Lanquetin, the Valdés Paiz pharmecuetical company: the CICIG seized his personal agenda, including logistical information about a meeting with the fugitive Valdés Paiz brothers outside of Guatemala.
• Rodolfo Ibarra, publicist for Lanquetin: in March and April of this year, received payments for his contributions to the media campaign to destroy the credibility of the CICIG. Appears in wire-tapped conversations discussing with Beltranena about how to approach candidates for attorney general, prior to Reyes´s appointment.
• Roderico Pineda: appears in telephone conversations influencing Reyes to halt the investigation into the Valdéz Paiz brothers.