Latest news with #Porras
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UN expert says Guatemalan prosecutor's office using criminal law to pursue opponents
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — A United Nations expert warned Friday at the conclusion of her two-week visit that Guatemala's prosecutor's office is increasingly using criminal law against former prosecutors, judges, defense attorneys, journalists and others. Margaret Satterthwaite, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, traveled the country meeting with judges, lawyers, lawmakers and others, including Guatemala's chief prosecutor. 'The instrumental use of criminal law by the Prosecutor General's Office appears to amount to a systematic pattern of intentional and severe deprivation of fundamental rights, targeted at specific groups,' Satterthwaite wrote in her preliminary report. 'This persecution appears to be intensifying, as those who have sought to end impunity and corruption, defend human rights, or speak out against abuses of power increasingly face digital harassment, threats, and criminal charges.' The office is led by Consuelo Porras, who has been sanctioned by the United States and other countries and accused of being an obstacle to corruption investigations. Satterthwaite met with Porras and her staff. They told Satterthwaite that they acted within the law, denied using criminal law to pursue opponents and said they were the real victims of attacks by the executive branch and its allies, the U.N. expert said. 'Criminal charges have been directed at more than 60 justice operators and defense or human rights lawyers,' Satterthwaite said, noting that more than 50 'justice operators' have been forced into exile by the prosecutor's office. Porras' office said later that it did not agree with Satterthwaite's preliminary report, because it did not reflect 'the complex work that we do, nor the exhaustive information that was provided.' 'We energetically reject the idea of a 'criminalization of sectors,'" the office said. 'Our actions are based on serious, objective investigations that strictly adhere to the Guatemalan legal framework.' President Bernardo Arévalo has tried unsuccessfully to convince Porras to step down. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Satterthwaite's observations.
Winnipeg Free Press
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
UN expert says Guatemalan prosecutor's office using criminal law to pursue opponents
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — A United Nations expert warned Friday at the conclusion of her two-week visit that Guatemala's prosecutor's office is increasingly using criminal law against former prosecutors, judges, defense attorneys, journalists and others. Margaret Satterthwaite, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, traveled the country meeting with judges, lawyers, lawmakers and others, including Guatemala's chief prosecutor. 'The instrumental use of criminal law by the Prosecutor General's Office appears to amount to a systematic pattern of intentional and severe deprivation of fundamental rights, targeted at specific groups,' Satterthwaite wrote in her preliminary report. 'This persecution appears to be intensifying, as those who have sought to end impunity and corruption, defend human rights, or speak out against abuses of power increasingly face digital harassment, threats, and criminal charges.' The office is led by Consuelo Porras, who has been sanctioned by the United States and other countries and accused of being an obstacle to corruption investigations. Satterthwaite met with Porras and her staff. They told Satterthwaite that they acted within the law, denied using criminal law to pursue opponents and said they were the real victims of attacks by the executive branch and its allies, the U.N. expert said. 'Criminal charges have been directed at more than 60 justice operators and defense or human rights lawyers,' Satterthwaite said, noting that more than 50 'justice operators' have been forced into exile by the prosecutor's office. Porras' office said later that it did not agree with Satterthwaite's preliminary report, because it did not reflect 'the complex work that we do, nor the exhaustive information that was provided.' 'We energetically reject the idea of a 'criminalization of sectors,'' the office said. 'Our actions are based on serious, objective investigations that strictly adhere to the Guatemalan legal framework.' President Bernardo Arévalo has tried unsuccessfully to convince Porras to step down. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Satterthwaite's observations.
France 24
23-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
UN expert says Guatemalan anti-corruption fighters persecuted
The United States and the European Union have sanctioned top public prosecutor Consuelo Porras for graft and undermining democracy, whiled President Bernardo Arevalo has accused her of seeking to overthrow him. During a visit to Guatemala, Margaret Satterthwaite, UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, warned of growing persecution of independent judges, prosecutors, lawyers, journalists and others. "The instrumental use of criminal law by the prosecutor general's office appears to amount to a systematic pattern of intentional and severe deprivation of fundamental rights, targeted at specific groups," she said in a statement. "This persecution appears to be intensifying, as those who have sought to end impunity and corruption, defend human rights, or speak out against abuses of power increasingly face digital harassment, threats, and criminal charges," Satterthwaite added. The UN expert, who is mandated by the UN Human Rights Council, but who does not speak on behalf of the United Nations, called on Porras's office to "halt its process of criminalization." Satterthwaite met with civil society and Indigenous groups, judicial officials and legislators, as well as both Arevalo and Porras during her visit. "I did hear people who are afraid," she said as she presented her initial findings at a news conference. "Criminalization is terrifying. It's something that no one wants to experience," she said. After meeting Satterthwaite last week, Porras said that her office "investigates" and "does not criminalize." But the UN expert said the "facts point to a very different reality." "Criminalization operates through a set of identifiable actions, involving the public prosecutor's office, members of the judiciary, and often certain private actors," Satterthwaite added. Arevalo's anti-corruption crusade helped to seal his August 2023 election but also put him in the crosshairs of prosecutors themselves accused of graft. The former lawmaker, diplomat and sociologist has repeatedly denounced a "slow-motion coup d'etat" and unsuccessfully tried to remove Porras.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EXCLUSIVE: Alohas Opens First U.S. Store in NYC as It Continues Retail Expansion
Alohas has landed in the U.S. for the first time. Located at 260 Elizabeth St. in the Nolita neighborhood of NYC, the new store offers the Barcelona-based footwear brand's range of sneakers, sandals, ballet flats and more. More from WWD Inside Amina Muaddi's New Shop at Le Bon Marché in Paris Serena Uziyel Opens the Doors to Madison Avenue Boutique EXCLUSIVE: Inside G/Fore's Growth Plans - Including New Stores and Shoe Models - as Golf Continues to Heat Up According to Alohas, the store, which officially opened on May 1, was designed by Clap Studio, the award-winning firm based in Valencia, which has been working on the brand's store design since the first opening in Spain. For this location, the firm was inspired by Hawaii's volcanic landscapes, reinterpreting their shapes and textures to create the store's atmosphere. Alejandro Porras, founder and chief executive officer of Alohas, told FN that opening a store in New York was 'the necessary and natural next step' for the brand. 'The United States is our largest market, and New York is a global epicenter of fashion, culture, and conscious living – values that perfectly align with our mission,' Porras said. 'We are excited to bring our unique blend of cutting-edge design and responsible consumption to one of the most inspiring cities in the world.' Founded by Porras in 2015 while he was living in Hawaii, the idea for the company came from the Menorquinas sandals he was wearing in his daily life while on the island. So, as an ode to his staple espadrille-like footwear choice while in Hawaii, the company was originally known as Alohas Sandals. But over the last 10 years, the company quickly grew to other footwear categories and has even added some ready-to-wear. With a focus on women's shoes that are made in both Spain and Portugal, the company also offers unisex sizing in its popular sneaker range, with sizes going up to a 46. In fact, the sneakers are one of the brand's most popular categories, with customers finding the style through a spike in popularity thanks to Instagram. 'Social media was our main pillar of communication and how we acquired new customers,' Maria Viterbo, head of public relations and marketing at Alohas, told FN in an interview. 'For the last two years, we have been working extra hard to grow a brand that people recognize and actually want to buy.' Viterbo added that Alohas, which is mainly a direct-to-consumer brand, only recently started to open brick-and-mortar stores. 'We opened our first store in Madrid last year, followed by a location in Barcelona a few months later,' Viterbo noted. 'This year, we recently opened stores in Milan, Amsterdam and a pop-up in Paris that we hope to make a permanent location. So, this expansion to New York not only marks the brand's physical entry into the U.S. market but also signifies our first store outside of Europe.' And while this store rollout may seem quick, Viterbo said that the desire to open physical stores were always part of the plan. 'Our main goal with the stores is to have them be our main point of connection with our customers,' the executive noted. 'We are going after locations in cool neighborhoods that are surrounded by other contemporary brands that have a similar customer as we do. So, we are being strategic in our approach to stores.' The executive added that while this New York shop is the company's 'last confirmed opening' for 2025, more locations are in the works. 'We are looking at locations in London, Berlin and more cities throughout the U.S. like Los Angeles,' Viterbo said. 'But, like I said, we don't want to open just anywhere. It has to be perfect for us.' Best of WWD Mikey Madison's Elegant Red Carpet Shoe Style [PHOTOS] Julia Fox's Sleekest and Boldest Shoe Looks Over the Years [Photos] Crocs Collaborations From Celebrities & Big Brands You Should Know Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
