Juan Francisco Sandoval Explained

Office1:Head of the Special Prosecutor's Office against Impunity
Term Start1:4 September 2015
Term End1:23 July 2021
1Blankname1:Attorney General
1Namedata1:Thelma Aldana
María Consuelo Porras
Predecessor1:Óscar Schaad
Successor1:Carla Isidra Valenzuela
Birth Date:5 May 1982
Birth Place:Guatemala City, Guatemala
Alma Mater:Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala

Juan Francisco Sandoval Alfaro (born 5 May 1982) is a Guatemalan attorney and prosecutor who served as Head of the Special Prosecutor's Office against Impunity from September 2015 to July 2021.

Biography

Sandoval was an ally of then-Attorney General Thelma Aldana in investigating cases against former presidents Alfonso Portillo, Álvaro Arzú, Álvaro Colom and Otto Pérez Molina, among other cases.[1] [2] After Aldana's mandate, Sandoval began investigations for possible corruption against former president Jimmy Morales[3] and Alejandro Giammattei.[4]

Sandoval maintained a strained relationship with Aldana's successor, María Consuelo Porras, who eventually ended up removing him in July 2021.[5] According to the US State Department, Porras "actively undermined" the corruption investigations conducted by Sandoval and his team. About two months after her removal, the US Department of State included Porras on a list of "corrupt and undemocratic" officials.[6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Juan Francisco Sandoval y su lucha contra la corrupción. 2021-07-24. elPeriódico de Guatemala. es. 2021-07-26.
  2. Web site: Estos son los casos más emblemáticos investigados por la FECI. 2021-07-23. Prensa Libre. es. 2021-07-26.
  3. Web site: FECI determinará si Jimmy Morales sabía para qué serviría el cheque que firmó. elPeriódico. February 25, 2019. September 22, 2021. spanish.
  4. Web site: ¿A qué o quiénes perjudican denuncias contra el presidente de Guatemala?. Voice of America. August 30, 2021. September 22, 2021. spanish.
  5. Blinken. Antony. SecBlinken. 1419288829865902080. We stand with the people of Guatemala and with Prosecutor Juan Francisco Sandoval, whom I recognized this year with an Anticorruption Champion Award. His dismissal undermines the rule of law and strengthens the forces of impunity. Guatemalans deserve better.. July 25, 2021. July 26, 2021.
  6. Web site: U.S. adds top Guatemalan, Salvadoran officials to corruption list. swissinfo.ch. September 20, 2021. September 21, 2021. September 21, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210921003921/https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/reuters/u-s--adds-top-guatemalan--salvadoran-officials-to-corruption-list/46963598. dead.