| Julio Roberto Suárez Guerra | |
| Office: | President of the Bank of Guatemala |
| Term Start: | 1 October 2014 |
| Term End: | 30 September 2018 |
| Predecessor: | Edgar Barquín |
| Successor: | Sergio Francisco Recinos Rivera |
| Alma Mater: | Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala |
Julio Roberto Suárez Guerra is a Guatemalan banker who served as the president of the Bank of Guatemala from 1 October 2014 to 30 September 2018. He spent the majority of his term detained, relating to a large-scale fraud case, of which he was cleared on appeal in July 2019.[1]
Suárez obtained a degree from the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala.[2] From 2002 to 2005 he worked for the Central American Bank for Economic Integration.[3] Suárez also worked as the Guatemalan representative to the International Monetary Fund.[2] Suárez served as Vice President of the Bank of Guatemala from 2006 until his appointment as President per 1 October 2014.[3] He succeeded Edgar Barquín.[2]
On 20 May 2015 Suárez was arrested together with fifteen others on accusations of fraud, illegal charging of commissions, illicit association and influence peddling.[4] [5] Suárez himself was accused of fraud.[4] The accusations were linked to the awarding of a contract to the Empresa Farmaceútica Pisa de Guatemala with services to the Guatemalan Social Security Institute, in which the accused were suspected of receiving kickbacks.[5] Suárez spent 3,5 years in detention before his trial commenced.[6] On 26 September 2018 he, and eleven others, were convicted of fraud and sentenced to six years and 3 months imprisonment.[7] On 5 July 2019 an appeal led to the clearing of the charges against Suárez.[1]
Suárez's term in office as President of the Bank of Guatemala ended on 30 September 2018, he was succeeded by Sergio Francisco Recinos Rivera.[8]