CICIG Guatemala Welcomes Loreto Ferrer as Operational Coordinator

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.

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.

Restructuring of the CICIG within 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, 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.

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 response designed to address extraordinary conditions

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 came to play a crucial role in sustaining the Commission’s institutional operations at a time of high political and judicial sensitivity.