Guatemala
Miguel Martínez had SAAS vehicles and security for four years
The then president Alejandro Giammattei gave vehicles and security at his disposal, to assign them to Martínez, former secretary of the Government Center, even though he was not an official following the closure of the government entity.
Miguel Martínez, former head of the Center of Government, was sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury (Photo Prensa Libre: Carlos Hernández)
In a summons made this week by deputy José Chic of the Vos bench to the representatives of the Secretariat of Administrative and Security Affairs (SAAS), it was confirmed that one of Alejandro Giammatte’s closest people, Miguel Martínez, had vehicles and security during the four years of administration.
The order to grant him special security, as indicated by the head of the SAAS, Iván Carpio, was from Giammattei himself, who used a specific name – annexed or incorporated – so that a vehicle from the presidential delegation would be at Martínez’s disposal, until he handed over the position on January 14.
“That commission was created – Government Center – and it disappeared and yet it continued to have agents assigned to the person you mentioned to me,” Carpio told the congressman, referring to the fact that the former head of the Government Center and then general secretary of the Vamos party had special security.
The secretary of the SAAS said at the meeting that, although the number of agents that Martínez had was low, he did not have exact information on how many there were or the number of vehicles he had at his disposal. “That is under investigation,” reiterated the official who added that an audit is being carried out throughout the secretariat.
To the family
Since 2020, the SAAS has an availability of 291 vehicles, 43 of these – agricultural trucks and pickup trucks – were distributed for nine people:
- 11 for the then president Alejandro Giammattei
- 5 for former vice president Guillermo Castillo
- 9 for Giammattei’s family nucleus
- 4 for the Castillo family nucleus
- 14 for another 7 people
Increase in the basic basket
The congressman also questioned the authorities regarding the increase in the budget for the entity. As it was explained to the deputy, the budget assigned last year for the SAAS was Q133 million, but a modification was made and this grew to Q134.7 million.
“Why was the budget increased?” Chic questioned, the response of SAAS officials was because the price of the basic basket increased.
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