EU, US caution Guatemala over persecution of lawyers, judges

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — The European Union and the United States are expressing concern about the Guatemalan government’s legal actions against independent judges, lawyers and prosecutors, many of whom participated in past anti-corruption cases. On Friday, the EU said in a statement that the arrests and other actions were preceded by a campaign of intimidation and threats. And the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs said the arrests “undermine the rule of law.” The comments came a day after a Guatemalan lawyer who previously represented a United Nations-backed anti-corruption mission in court proceedings was arrested in what some observers saw as retribution against those who helped the highly effective anti-corruption effort.