María Consuelo Porras Argueta (born August 23, 1953) is a Guatemalan attorney who has been serving as the attorney general of Guatemala since 2018. She previously served as Deputy Magistrate of the

Constitutional Court A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ru ...

from 2016 to 2018.

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Jimmy Morales James Ernesto Morales Cabrera (; born 18 March 1969) is a Guatemalan politician, actor, and comedian who served as the 50th president of Guatemala from 2016 to 2020. Early and personal life Morales was born in Guatemala City to José Everar ...

nominated Porras as the new Attorney General and Chief of the Public Prosecutor's Office in May 2018, succeeding Thelma Aldana. Porras' tenure has been criticized for its backsliding in the fight against corruption. Porras maintained a strained relationship with the Head of the Special Prosecutor's Office against Impunity, Juan Francisco Sandoval, finally dismissing him in July 2021. In September 2021 the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy of the United State ...

announced that it had added Porras and five judges from

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

to a list of "undemocratic and corrupt" officials. According to the US State Department, Porras "actively undermined" the corruption investigations conducted by Sandoval and his team. In December 2023, the

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called Porras' actions to annul the election of

Bernardo Arévalo César Bernardo Arévalo de León (; born 7 October 1958) is a Guatemalan diplomat, sociologist, writer, and politician serving as the 52nd and current president of Guatemala since 2024. A member and co-founder of the Movimiento Semilla, Semill ...

"an attempted coup d’état." In late December 2023, the

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) is a global network of Investigative journalism, investigative journalists. It was founded in 2006 and specializes in organized crime and corruption. It publishes its stories through ...

named Porras the " 2023 Person of the Year in Organized Crime and Corruption," for acting "as an efficient instrument used by the government to eviscerate the rule of law" in attempts to prevent Arévalo from assuming office, as well as other actions encouraging

democratic backsliding Democratic backsliding or autocratization is a process of regime change toward autocracy in which the exercise of political power becomes more arbitrary and repressive. The process typically restricts the space for public contest and politi ...

. She was the first female recipient of the award. After Arévalo's inauguration in January 2024, he demanded Porras' resignation, which she refused. On February 2, 2024, she was sanctioned by the

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, making her subject to a travel ban and asset freeze in all 27 EU member states. The decision was taken as a result of her persistent attempts to overturn the outcome of the 2023 Guatemalan elections and use of her office to initiate proceedings against journalists, activists and independent prosecutors and judges. In the same month,

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also imposed sanctions against Porras for her role in the 2023 election. In 2025, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

sanctioned Porras.

References

External links

* 1953 births Living people People from Chimaltenango Department Guatemalan women judges 21st-century Guatemalan judges Attorneys general of Guatemala Female justice ministers Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala alumni {{Guatemala-bio-stub