The Guatemalan attorney general on Tuesday appointed a new anti-corruption investigator in a controversial move that comes after the United States said it had "lost confidence" in the top prosecutor.
The United States had levied the criticism after Attorney General Consuelo Porras sacked the previous anti-corruption investigator, Juan Francisco Sandoval.
The newly appointed Rafael Curruchiche, who headed a unit investigating electoral crimes but was accused of prosecuting the political opposition and protecting the corrupt, will take over from Sandoval, Porras said.
"The Attorney General … reiterates her commitment to ensuring the continuity of the fight against impunity and corruption," her office said in a statement.
But opposition MP Samuel Perez said Curruchiche was "known for his persecution of the opposition and his defense of the model of corruption."
The Guatemalan media has reported on cases in which Curruchiche is suspected of having protecting people accused of electoral crimes, including businessmen suspected of illegally financing the party of former president Jimmy Morales.
Sandoval was fired last month and fled the country, citing fears for his life. He is now in the United States.
He was given an award earlier this year by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for his anti-corruption work.
US President Joe Biden's administration said his dismissal demonstrated a lack of "good faith" on the part of Porras, and as a result, "we have lost confidence in the attorney general."
Sandoval claimed he had encountered numerous obstacles in his work and had been prevented from investigating President Alejandro Giammattei without Porras's permission.
Guatemalans have organized several demonstrations against Sandoval's dismissal, last week erecting roadblocks and demanding the dismissal of the president and attorney general.
