Guatemalan officials resign to protest corruption

Baldetti, who resigned from her position in May while facing an impeachment vote from lawmakers, was herself arrested over the scandal earlier Friday at a medical center in Guatemala, where she had reportedly been dealing with some health issues. Guatemalan National Police raided Baldetti’s house on Friday, seizing cellphones and hard drives. Baldetti is suspected of illicit association, customs fraud and graft.

“While I am really happy that thief (ex-vice president Roxana) Baldetti has been captured, it is time for them to take the other robber – President Perez – to prison”, added Ana Velasquez, a student at San Carlos University. He disappeared during an official visit to South Korea with the former vice president, and his current whereabouts remain unknown.

The La Linea probe began in May 2014 and has led to 27 arrests so far.

Velasquez said the taped phone calls included references to “Number One” and “Number Two”, which investigators had determined to be Perez and Baldetti.

Perez Molina said he did not know what was in the prosecutor’s complaint, but would find out and then comment.

Perez Molina, too, has denied involvement, and a recent, separate bid to lift his immunity died in Congress last week.

There were demonstrations in the capital, Guatemala City, on Saturday with protesters calling for the president to step down and for an end to corruption. Video of the demonstration showed a celebratory atmosphere with the crowd belting out the Guatemalan national anthem. The latest developments come just 15 days before the country is set to vote in a presidential election.

“The people are asking for the resignation of the most thieving government in history led by Otto Perez”, said Jose Catalan, toting a banner that read “Resign already Otto your prison awaits”. “And at the given moment, we will have to make a statement”, the 64-year-old told reporters after an event.

Requested whether or not Perez ought to resign, de la Torre stated: “That’s as much as the president, it isn’t for us to reply this”.