GUATEMALA CITY — Even in crime-ridden Guatemala, the headlines were startling: Prosecutors busted a customs bribery ring that likely defrauded the state of millions of dollars, with the current and former Tax Authority chiefs and a top aide to the vice president implicated. The wiretaps, raids and 20 arrests announced last week were the fruit of a probe by prosecutors and by the UNInternational Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala, which was set up to investigate and prosecute organized crime and its pernicious influence over the government and judicial system. The unprecedented UN body's future is uncertain, however. President Otto Perez Molina says he will decide soon whether Guatemala will continue cooperating with the commission or hand its responsibilities over to local law enforcement. Analysts say it is far from clear Guatemala is ready to tackle corruption on its own and warn that a “no” from Perez Molina could imperil efforts to bolster the rule of law in a country plagued by endemic graft, gangs and a homicide rate of around 34 per 100,000 inhabitants, one of the highest in the world. “The institutions still need CICIG,” said Guatemalan law professor Alejandro Balsells, using the commission's Spanish initials. “Those who are against the commission staying are the ones who are upset that real justice could flourish in the country.” The commission has recently received support from influential international voices, including US senators and Vice President Joe Biden, who earlier this year visited Guatemala for talks with Central American leaders about $1 billion in US aid requested for the region by President Barack Obama. Perez Molina has said he will not be pressured on the matter and intends to announce a decision this month after he gets a recommendation from a panel named to evaluate the UN commission's work. While acknowledging the commission has achieved some results, he suggested its presence cannot be permanent. “Even if it remained for 10 more years, it is not the commission that will solve the justice situation,” Perez Molina told The Associated Press in an interview. “It is us, the Guatemalans, who must see if we truly want to fix our institutions, strengthen them and move forward.” Created in 2007 after Guatemala asked for help in investigating serious crimes, the commission's staff of police and prosecutors from 25 nations has helped bring 161 public officials to trial for corruption, although it hasn't said how many of those were convicted. Its work also has incriminated two directors of the National Police, prompted the firing of hundreds of police officers with links to graft, drug trafficking and extrajudicial killings, and identified 33 criminal organizations operating in Guatemala. The body has drawn criticism from some Guatemalans, who argue it has exceeded its mandate and infringes on national sovereignty. — AP
