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) went through one of the most delicate phases of its history when, in September, then-President of Guatemala Jimmy Morales barred Commissioner Iván Velásquez from entering the country.
The decision came amid intense institutional tension, following the CICIG’s launch of high-profile corruption investigations. The measure sparked national and international reactions and necessitated a redefinition of the Commission’s operations to ensure the continuity of its work 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 aimed to uphold the commissioner’s authority while ensuring the institution maintained its operational footprint on Guatemalan soil during a particularly delicate period. When the entry ban was enforced, both Velásquez and Ferrer were in Washington handling institutional matters. Ferrer managed to return to Guatemala and take on that responsibility locally.
Days later, Guatemala’s Attorney General, Consuelo Porras, requested a meeting with Loreto Ferrer to learn about the Commission’s representation structue. As the CICIG later reported, during that meeting the institutional arrangement adopted to ensure the continuity of the work was explained.
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.
The Role of CICIG and Its Crucial Importance for 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 proved essential for maintaining the Commission’s institutional functions during a period marked by heightened political and judicial sensitivity.
