Guatemala: Costa Rican Francisco Dall’Anese to Direct CICIG  · Global Voices
Renata Avila

Francisco Dall'Anese,  Attorney General of Costa Rica, has been appointed to direct the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) and the United Nations is still waiting for his official response. The commission was “established as an independent investigative body by a treaty-level agreement between the United Nations and Guatemala […] with the objective of assisting the Guatemalan State in investigating and dismantling violent criminal organizations believed to be responsible for widespread crime and the paralysis in the country's justice system,” as its website explains. To understand the impact if this new appointment for Guatemala and for future efforts against impunity around the world, Guatemala Solidarity Network explains the importance and the relevance of the CICIG-:
CICIG is unique in the sense that it is not entirely an international  effort, nor is it wholly domestic, it has a bit of both but ultimately  has to fit into the Guatemalan judicial system. It is also unique in  being able to suggest reform, and includes training local personnel, all  taken together ought to create a lasting legacy. In contrast to many other UN tribunals, such as those in the former  Yugoslavia or Rwanda, CICIG is not trying to deal with the aftermath of  mass human rights abuse. The Historical Clarification Commission tried  to get to the truth, and as we know there are some cases proceeding to  try to find justice in those cases which the Peace Accords did not make  non-prosecutable. In contrast, CICIG is trying to deal with a different  legacy of the civil war: the infiltration of the organs of the state by  parallel powers, which subvert them to their own ends. It also uses the  domestic law and courts of Guatemala rather than international law,  which has several benefits: it shows that the legal system can indeed be  made to work, it can prosecute powerful individuals, and by working  from the inside it can see the weaknesses of that domestic law and  suggest improvements.
During a visit to Guatemala a few months ago, Francisco Dall’Anese said: “Although corruption exists, grand corruption comes from people with  real political power that influence institutions in order to steal or  divert money for their own benefit or that of third parties, and that  additionally are untouchable. There is a fear to confront these people  who wield enormous power in our society and those fears have to be put  to rest. If we do not stop this, the country is seized.” Mike, from the blog Central American Politics, shares his views:
The people I have spoken with this week have praised CICIG's work and admitted while imperfect, Guatemala would have been much worse without it.  We also weren't convinced that CICIG had successfully dismantled any of the organized crime rings in the country.  Individual successes have occurred, really important ones like the arrest of Portillo and Napoleon Rojas, his security chief who was taken into custody today, but I don't know how far CICIG's work has dismantled the  hidden powers.
The blog International Law Girls provides the context for this new appointment, which will replace Carlos Castresana from Spain:
Less than 2% of the cases ever make it to trial. It got so bad that  after much pressure from civil society, a U.N-sponsored initiative  called the Commission Against Impunity in  Guatemala (known by its Spanish initials as CICIG) was created in  2008 to help the national prosecutors’ office improve its ability to  investigate and try cases. CICIG’s  mandate is to investigate the existence of illicit security forces  and clandestine security organizations that commit crimes, and to  identify their illegal group structures (including links between State  officials and organized crime), activities, modes of operation, and  sources of financing. CICIG is to support the national Prosecutors’  office, act as a third-party prosecutor, and recommend policies to the  government to strengthen the justice system. It does not, however, have  the power to initiate its own prosecutions, a power the courts have held  is exclusive to the Prosecutors’ Office. Thus, if the prosecutor is  corrupt or ineffective, CICIG’s only recourse is through public  pressure. Nonetheless, the mechanism constitutes an interesting  and innovative half-way house between technical assistance and a  full-fledged hybrid tribunal.
Julie Chappel, UK Ambassador in Guatemala, wrote on her blog:
For now, CICIG remains an  important tool for Guatemala, helping to develop transparent, effective  security and justice sectors, which in turn will help to promote  economic growth and international investment. Passing into law the  various legal reforms that CICIG has suggested will be an important next  step. But of course, CICIG is only a temporary body – an opportunity of  which we all need to make the most.
Peace and justice in Guatemala is a neverending process, which will need complete support from citizens. To challenge “grand corruption” one must start with a shift in moral and legal practices and values, uncover the truth and hold those responsible accountable. Journalist Fran Sevilla highlights [es] the responsibility that the Guatemalan government has in the success of the Commission.  While some Guatemalans rejected and challenged [es] the former head of CICIG, all the organizations and diplomatic bodies represented in Guatemala are supporting the effort; and for most of Guatemalans, the Comission is a candle of hope, illuminating them and telling them that justice is possible.