On November 11, 2021, the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice at the New York City Bar Association invited members of Guatemalan Association of Judges for Integrity to New York City for an in-person meeting in Spanish. Members of the Latino Judges Association (LJA), its President, Court of Claims Judge Walter Rivera, as well as Spanish-speaking colleagues and judges, heard first-hand accounts of the challenges independent judges currently face in Guatemala.
“They spoke eloquently about their plight in trying to fight corruption and criminality in the face of an uncaring executive branch,” Judge Javier Vargas said. The Vance Center has long been engaged with Guatemala’s legal community and civil society organizations there to offer services to strengthen the rule of law in the country.
