Samuel Doria Medina questions appointment of anti-corruption tsar

Businessman and politician Samuel Doria Medina has criticized the appointment of Yamil García as the government’s new anti-corruption tsar. Doria Medina argued that the role requires an individual with sufficient independence and personal prestige to effectively monitor public management, a standard he believes the appointee does not meet.

Doria Medina noted that García is a local lawyer with close political ties to President Rodrigo Paz, having belonged to the same political bloc during the previous legislature. He further questioned the institutional structure of the position, pointing out that the role is subordinate to the Minister of the Presidency, one of the president’s closest officials.

The appointment follows the approval of Supreme Decree 5706, which grants new powers to transparency units. Under these new regulations, García announced that these units will be able to act directly on potential corruption cases without waiting for formal complaints, while also implementing digital tracking systems and coordinating with the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) for asset tracing.