Guatemalan president faces mounting calls to resign

The Guatemalan comptroller's office called Thursday for President Otto Perez to resign over a swirling corruption scandal, the latest blow to the embattled and increasingly isolated leader.

Hours after the attorney general's office urged Perez to step down Wednesday night, the comptroller piled on further pressure, saying the conservative leader must quit "to preserve the peace in Guatemala in the face of demands from diverse sectors of the population."

It warned of "unexpected consequences" if Perez, a 64-year-old retired general, insisted on riding out the remainder of his term, which ends in January.

Guatemala holds elections on September 6. Perez, who has been in office since 2012, cannot run for reelection under the constitution.

Guatemalan politics has been thrown into turmoil by the scandal, which centers on allegations of massive, systematic fraud at the national customs service.
Prosecutors and investigators from a United Nations anti-corruption commission say Perez, former vice president Roxana Baldetti and a raft of other top officials operated a scheme in which businesses paid bribes to clear their imports through customs at a fraction of the actual tax rate.

The scandal has been dubbed "La Linea," for the hotline investigators say importers would call to access corrupt officials.

Baldetti, who resigned in May, has been arrested and charged with corruption. A judge ruled Wednesday that she must remain in jail pending trial.

Guatemalans have taken to the streets in mass protests over the scandal, calling for Perez to go.

The comptroller's office said it had authorized employees to join the latest protest march, scheduled for later Thursday.

The scandal has prompted an exodus from Perez's cabinet as ministers seek to distance themselves from the president.
Six ministers have resigned in recent days, along with several other top officials.

Congress is due to begin debating Thursday whether to revoke Perez's presidential immunity and open an investigation, after the Supreme Court gave a green light to prosecutors' request for impeachment proceedings.

The leading candidate to succeed Perez is Manuel Baldizon of the right-wing Democratic Liberty party.

But his running mate, Edgar Barquin, has also been caught up in a corruption scandal over allegations of money laundering.

With many Guatemalans exasperated with their political leaders, some have called to postpone the elections until sweeping reforms are implemented.
Source: AFP