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Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Mike Lee (R-UT) sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken requesting a full review into the State Department’s actions with regard to the ongoing Attorney General selection process in Guatemala. The letter follows reports that employees of the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development may be inappropriately influencing the appointment process for Guatemala’s Attorney General position, which is currently underway. 
 
“Guatemala has had a long and difficult road in quelling the scourge of public corruption. That road has been made harder by the abuse of well-intentioned international support…” the senators wrote. “Given this complex history of international involvement in Guatemala’s judicial system, the United States should be cautious when assisting Guatemalans’ path towards a just and equal application of the law.” 
 
The full text of the letter is below. 
 
Dear Secretary Blinken:
 
For centuries, it has been U.S. policy to respect the sovereignty of nations of the Western Hemisphere. Unfortunately, our offices have received concerning reports that employees of the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development may be subverting efforts to achieve this objective. Specifically, it is being purported that certain U.S. officials may be working to inappropriately influence the appointment process for Guatemala’s Attorney General position, which is currently underway. As you know, an official nominating commission consisting of law school deans, bar association leaders, and the Supreme Court president has prepared a list of candidates from which President Alejandro Giammattei will choose the next Attorney General, whose term is scheduled to begin in May. 
 
In light of these concerning reports, we request a full review into the State Department’s actions with regard to the ongoing Attorney General selection process in Guatemala. We also seek clarification into U.S. efforts, to date, aimed at influencing the independence of Guatemala’s judicial system. We should be united against corruption and any efforts to undermine the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary in Guatemala.
 
Guatemala has had a long and difficult road in quelling the scourge of public corruption. That road has been made harder by the abuse of well-intentioned international support, like the discontinued International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala. Unfortunately, that commission had a history of misusing its authority and of being used as an ideological tool by one side of the political spectrum in Guatemala against the other. Given this complex history of international involvement in Guatemala’s judicial system, the United States should be cautious when assisting Guatemalans’ path towards a just and equal application of the law. 
 
Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.  
 
Sincerely,