"The State Department has credible information that Giammattei, during his tenure as President of Guatemala, accepted bribes in exchange for the performance of his public duties and engaged in actions that undermined the rule of law and government transparency," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement yesterday.
Giammattei has been barred from entering the United States, the statement said, emphasizing that the United States remains committed to strengthening transparency and governance in Guatemala and the Western Hemisphere and will use all means to promote accountability for those who undermine it.
Investigations into Giammattei, who has been frequently implicated in corruption allegations for much of his tenure, have not progressed.
Bernardo Arevalo, who won the presidential election in a runoff on August 20, 2023, was only sworn in by Congress on January 14, and Giammattei left office.
