Two more years! Two more years!

On Thursday afternoon, President Otto Perez Molina agreed to support a two-year extension for the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG). Perez Molina's about-face comes after a barrage of domestic and international criticism. Several months ago, Perez Molina said that CICIG would not continue after its mandate expired in September. His public arguments against a renewal of CICIG's mandate would range from the commission violates Guatemalan sovereignty to it's time for the country's political institutions to stand on their own. Two members of the commission responsible for making a recommendation on CICIG's future, had already made their intentions known.  

However, support for CICIG came from around the world (US, UN, European donors, WOLA) and within Guatemala (NGOs, businessmen, the media). Perez Molina still didn't seem convinced. He just became more annoyed. However, the arrests of people closely tied to Perez Molina, Vice President Baldetti, and the Patriotic Party severely weakened his hand. First, CICIG and the Public Ministry moved against Byron Lima and his prison empire. Second, and more recently, they moved against a criminal network involved in defrauding Guatemalans of millions of dollars in taxes.

Audio recordings related to the most recent scandal allude to presidential and vice presidential involvement in the customs fraud. While no charges have been filed against the president, the vice president, or the interior minister, they look dirty at worst and incompetent at best.

CICIG and their Guatemalan partners have done tremendous work in Guatemala. However, even with CICIG's presence, we've still witnessed pretty shady judicial rulings and questionable decisiosn with regards to criminal cases against Giamattei, Portillo, and Efrain Rios Montt, the term of Claudia Paz y Paz, and the selection of the country's high court justices. I am hopeful that two more years of CICIG will result in a transformative experience for the country's judicial institutions, but I am not optimistic.