Weekly Report - 16 April 2026 (WR-26-15)

With the overhaul of Guatemala’s key institutions continuing to draw international scrutiny [WR-26-10], anti-corruption reformer President Bernardo Arévalo last week received a setback after Walter Mazariegos, the controversial rector of the country’s only public university, Universidad de San Carlos (Usac), was re-appointed for a further four years. The appointment was widely criticised, not just over Mazariegos’ dubious credentials (he has been blacklisted by the US and linked to the pacto de corruptos network which Arévalo is seeking to dismantle). The appointment is also crucial given Usac’s involvement in various institutional processes, including the appointments to the constitutional court (CC), electoral court (TSE), attorney general’s office (AG), and comptroller general’s office (CGC), which are all being made this year.