Iván Velásquez, Colombian Defense Minister.
(CNN Spanish) --
The Special Prosecutor's Office against Impunity in Guatemala reported Monday through a message posted on its Twitter account that it "will undertake the corresponding legal actions" against the Colombian Defense Minister, Iván Velásquez, in the case that is carried out in the country against the construction company Odebrecht for alleged corruption.
The Special Prosecutor's Office against Impunity accuses him of having allowed cooperation agreements with executives of the Odebrecht construction company, when Velásquez was head of the International Commission Against Impunity (CICIG) in the Central American country between 2013 and 2017.
For his part, Iván Velásquez assured through a statement published on the Twitter account of the Colombian Ministry of Defense that "he has not been notified of any requirement by the Guatemalan authorities."
pic.twitter.com/JYBOezjozT
— Iván Velásquez Gómez (@Ivan_Velasquez_) January 17, 2023
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Velázquez added that he has peace of mind that his work in Guatemala was done transparently and within the legal framework that protected the operation of the International Commission against Impunity.
The Colombian Defense Minister concluded by saying that his commitment "to transparency, justice and the fight against impunity has been and will continue to be the hallmark of my work as a public servant."
For his part, the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, reacted to the statement from the Guatemalan Prosecutor's Office saying: “I will never accept the arrest warrant for our Minister Velásquez.
He proved to fight corruption and we will not allow corruption to persecute him ”.
I will never accept the arrest warrant for our Minister Velasquez.
He proved to fight against corruption and we will not allow corruption to persecute him.
Our ambassador is immediately called for consultation.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 17, 2023
"Like any person who fights against corruption, Minister Velásquez did it to destroy the impunity that dominates Guatemala, now he is persecuted by those interests. The fight against impunity is one of the strongest fights because corruption generates powerful interests, so strong that they want to perpetuate themselves," Petro later said in a statement to reporters.
And he added that he will defend that Velásquez continue to be a minister.
Rafael Curruchiche, from the Specialized Prosecutor's Office against Impunity in Guatemala, which is investigating the case of alleged corruption of the Odebrecht company, added on Monday that the body issued four arrest warrants for this case, among which is that of the former attorney general from Guatemala, Thelma Aldana.
Curruchiche added that these four people who have an arrest warrant are accused of obstruction of justice, conspiracy and abuse of authority.
After the announcement of the arrest warrants from the Guatemalan Prosecutor's Office, CNN contacted Thelma Aldana, who responded: “The criminalization by Consuelo Porras and Curruchiche continues, both designated on the Engel List as corrupt.
I regret that the rule of law has been lost in Guatemala.”
Aldana, who was Guatemala's Attorney General until 2018, remains in the United States under government-approved asylum after, according to the former prosecutor, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) revealed that there was a plan to assassinate her in Guatemala.
Odebrecht Corruption Case