Guatemala Attorney General Consuelo Porras Refuses To Resign Despite President Bernardo Arevalo Asking Her To

On the day she was supposed to meet with new Guatemala President Bernardo Arevalo, embattled Guatemala AG Consuelo Porras said in a video message that she would not resign despite Arevalo asking her to. She has been facing calls to step down from the public, Arevalo's supporters, and the new president himself. Protests demanding her resignation were sparked all over Guatemala as she tried to prevent Arevalo from taking power.

According to La Prensa Latina, President Arevalo has stated that his meeting with the AG, who has been hounding him since he won the election, would be private. However, there are calls for their meeting to be broadcast "so that everyone can witness the report."

Porras has been slammed by various human rights groups, international organizations, and countries for her repeated attempts at trying to hinder the peaceful transfer of power. She has had a history of being sanctioned by the US government over corrupt practices, and she has been known to stop investigations into corrupt politicians, something that Arevalo has campaigned on.

Arevalo will be meeting Porras to discuss four topics, including her resignation. These topics also include decisions of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights regarding the advancement of criminal proceedings requested by Arevalo, as well as the requirement for the criminal prosecution criteria in cases of freedom of expression and press.

Arevalo also wants to talk to Porras about "the investigation into the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines and the information about the existence of a criminal inquiry related to the process of procuring them as bribe payments with treasury funds."

Guatemala AG Consuelo Porras Vows Not to Resign Amid Public Outcry Against Her

As for Porras herself, she bluntly said in a recorded video message, "I am not going to resign," while also threatening to take legal action against anyone who tried to push her out of office.

The Associated Press noted that she cited court rulings in arguing that she is also not under any obligation to meet with Arevalo, who has publicly stated that he wants to meet with her personally, adding that her office "is an autonomous and independent institution" despite allegations that her office protected the now-former President Alejandro Giammattei from any investigations for his corrupt practices.

"You (President Arévalo), as the maximum authority of the nation, must respect what the (constitution) and the country's laws establish," she said defiantly in the video.

Bernardo Arevalo's Anti-Corruption Campaign Placed Him on AG Consuelo Porras's Crosshairs

The feud between Porras and Arevalo started soon after the new president won second place in the primary election and qualified for the run-off election, which he won via a landslide.

Soon after qualifying to run for the presidency against establishment candidate Sandra Torres, Arevalo and his Seed Movement party were slapped with various investigations, with his party being punished for not being "legal."

Arevalo has called Porras's actions against him as president-elect a "slow-motion coup d'etat," as her actions included things that may have violated the Guatemalan constitution, such as confiscating ballot boxes in an effort to prove he cheated to win.

READ MORE: Guatemala Elections: Observers Say Political Parties and Justice System Interfered

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Bernardo Arévalo sworn in as Guatemala's president - Associated Press