Legal disputes arise over official appointments in Ecuador and Guatemala

In Ecuador, the selection process for the Attorney General is facing intense scrutiny. Legal professionals have called for the suspension or annulment of the nine-month competition, citing potential political maneuvers, lack of transparency regarding candidate resumes, and irregularities in scoring. The Council for Citizen Participation and Social Control (CPCCS) recently addressed several appeals; while some challenges against current prosecutor Carlos Alarcón were dismissed, appeals regarding candidates Daniella Camacho, Inés Romero, and Gabriel Pereira were accepted for further review.

In Guatemala, legal challenges continue regarding administrative and corruption-related appointments. A court has admitted an amparo against the Board of the Superintendency of Competition, ordering them to provide reports regarding the decision to open a new selection process for a successor to Jorge Miguel Castillo Castro. Meanwhile, former government official Miguel Martínez is appealing a judicial decision that upheld U.S. Treasury Department sanctions against him under the Global Magnitsky Act, following allegations of corruption and irregularities in state contracts.