A former official close to the president of Guatemala, imprisoned for three months, announced this Monday that she regained her freedom after accepting the charges brought against her by the Prosecutor’s Office in an investigation of alleged irregular financing of the ruling party.
Ligia Hernández, former deputy general secretary of the Semilla party, said that she made “the difficult decision” to opt for “a procedure for accepting charges” upon verifying that nothing changes in the Prosecutor’s Office, which President Bernardo Arévalo accuses of corruption and chase him.
Although the former official did not specify the sentence imposed, the local press indicated that a judge imposed a fine of $1,250 and one year of commutable prison, which allowed her to be free by accepting the charges.
“I fully hoped that the political conditions would be different, but nothing has changed and, in light of the facts, it seems that it will not change soon,” said Hernández, adding that she is “desolate, depressed and sick.”
Unregistered electoral financing
In his 11 months in office, Arévalo has not achieved the dismissal of Attorney General Consuelo Porras, sanctioned by Washington for considering her “corrupt” and “undemocratic”, and who led an offensive in 2023 to prevent the social democrat from assuming power.
In continuation of these actions against Arévalo and his party, the Prosecutor’s Office managed to have Hernández arrested on August 13, after implicating her in alleged unregistered electoral financing of Semilla years ago.
According to the accusation, the former deputy “hid”, as deputy general secretary of the party in 2019, information about financial contributions to the group.
Hernández stated that accepting the charges was “an act of justice and love to protect and safeguard” his life, for his children and his “commitment to public service.”
«Today I regain my freedom with a clear conscience […]. Guatemala already has enough martyrs and I will not be one more,” said Hernández, who when she was arrested was director of an institute that assists people affected by lack of access to justice.
The Prosecutor’s Office has also sought to withdraw Arévalo’s immunity.
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