Guatemala appoints controversial new anti-corruption prosecutor

Move comes after sacking of former anti-corruption prosecutor spurred mass protests and international criticism.

Guatemala’s attorney general, under fire for sacking the country’s top anti-corruption prosecutor last month, has appointed a controversial new figure to take up the post. Maria Porras’s office said on Tuesday that Rafael Curruchiche, who headed a unit investigating electoral crimes but has been accused of prosecuting the political opposition and protecting the corrupt, would take over from Juan Francisco Sandoval. “The Attorney General … reiterates her commitment to ensuring the continuity of the fight against impunity and corruption,” her office said in a statement.