Guatemala’s president-elect announces his Cabinet ahead of swearing-in

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemala’s President-elect Bernardo Arévalo announced his Cabinet picks Monday ahead of his scheduled swearing-in Sunday, despite ongoing investigations of his political party.

The progressive president-elect chose an even number of female and male Cabinet members for the first time in Guatemala’s history and looked outside his relatively young Seed Movement party to staff some of the country’s most important positions.

Arévalo was the surprise winner of last year’s election, campaigning to tackle Guatemala’s deep-rooted corruption.

He said his picks were honorable people and he promised to create an autonomous anti-corruption commission to analyze his administration’s work.

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Arévalo chose Francisco Jiménez Irungaray as his interior minister. Jiménez served former President Álvaro Colóm briefly in the same position and was cited by a United Nations anti-corruption mission for alleged involvement in the improper awarding of a government contract.

Asked about Jiménez’s baggage, Arévalo said he was familiar with the allegations but noted they had been dismissed.

Carlos Ramiro Martínez, a career diplomat who has four times served as the deputy foreign affairs minister including under outgoing President Alejandro Giammattei, will take the top spot in that ministry.

“Even though this Cabinet has many attributes, it shows that the Seed party, being a young party, has to give its officials to external sectors,” said political analyst Cristhians Castillo at San Carlos University’s Institute of National Problems.

He said Arévalo’s choices sent a signal of consensus and gives the incoming president a technical team capable of negotiating.

That capacity could be key as Arévalo has faced months of mounting investigations of his party and its members by an Attorney General’s Office that has alleged wrongdoing without so far showing evidence of it. Foreign election observers have declared the election free and fair and accused prosecutors of waging a politically motivated campaign against Arévalo.