Alejandro Maldonado

Alejandro Maldonado
President of Guatemala
In office 3 September 2015 – 14 January 2016
Vice President	Alfonso Fuentes Soria
Preceded by	Otto Pérez Molina
Succeeded by	Jimmy Morales
14th Vice President of Guatemala
In office 14 May 2015 – 3 September 2015
President	Otto Pérez Molina
Preceded by	Roxana Baldetti
Succeeded by	Alfonso Fuentes Soria
Personal details
Born	Alejandro Maldonado Aguirre 6 January 1936
Political party	National Liberation Movement (Before 1982) Unionist Party (1982–2006) Independent (2006–present)
Other political affiliations	National Opposition Union (1982)
Spouse(s)	Ana Fagianni

Alejandro Maldonado Aguirre (born January 6, 1936) is a Guatemalan politician who was the Acting President of Guatemala, following the Congress of Guatemala's acceptance of the resignation of President Otto Pérez Molina on September 3, 2015.^[1]

He was elected as Vice President by Congress on May 14, 2015, after his predecessor, Roxana Baldetti, resigned amid allegations of corruption. Before becoming Vice President, he served as a constitutional judge, congressional deputy, ambassador to the United Nations, and political leader, including a failed presidential bid in 1982.^[2][3] He was Minister of Education from 1970 to 1974 and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 1996.

History

Born in Guatemala City, Maldonado graduated from San Carlos University with a degree in law.^[4]

Since the 1960s, he was a member of the far-right National Liberation Movement political party (Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional or MLN), alleged to have started the use of death squads against communists. He was also Minister of Education under the military regime of Arana Osorio (1970–1974) and defended Guatemala before the United Nations when the international community isolated the military regime of Lucas García (1978–1982) for its gross human rights violations.

In the 1980s, he formed the National Renewal Party and joined a coalition with Guatemalan Christian Democracy in the 1982 election. Maldonado placed third in a blatantly rigged election which he may have won had the contest been free and fair,^[5] which was followed by a military coup. In 1985 he was again a presidential candidate for his party but placed seventh out of eight candidates and only one seat in Congress. He would continue to hold numerous public posts, including that of Foreign Minister.

Later, Maldonado served as a judge on the Constitutional Court judge on three occasions, where he was responsible for several controversial decisions. In May 2013 Maldonado was judge on the appeal case of former president Efraín Ríos Montt's conviction for genocide. Whereas in the first session Ríos Montt was found guilty, Maldonado and two others of the five-person Constitutional Court annulled the proceedings.^[6]

One week after his appointment as Vice President in May 2015, protesters sought his resignation because he had overturned the guilty verdict in the Ríos Montt trial.^[7][8]

Public positions held

• 1956: Member of the Guatemala City Council
• 1966–1970: Congressional deputy, for the National Liberation Movement
• 1970–1974: Minister of Education (under President Arana Osorio)
• 1974–1976: Ambassador to the United Nations (New York City)
• 1978–1980: Ambassador to the United Nations (Geneva)
• 1984–1986: Deputy to the National Constituent Assembly
• 1986–1991: Magistrate of the Constitutional Court (incl. 1989–1991, President)
• 1991–1995: Ambassador to Mexico
• 1995–1996: Minister of Foreign Affairs (under President de León Carpio)
• 1996–2001: Magistrate of the Constitutional Court (incl. 1997–1998, President)
• 2004–2006: Congressional deputy, for the Unionist Party
• 2006–2011: Magistrate of the Constitutional Court (incl. 2006–2007, President)
• 2015: Vice President of the Republic
• 2015: President of the Republic

Vice President of Guatemala

Maldonado served as Vice President of Guatemala from his selection to the position following the resignation of Roxana Baldetti on May 14, 2015, until his accession as President on September 3, 2015.

President of Guatemala

Maldonado, as Vice President, became acting President of Guatemala on September 3, 2015, upon the confirmation by the Congress of Guatemala of the resignation of President Otto Pérez Molina.

References

1. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-34147891
2. "Guatemala congress taps Alejandro Maldonado Aguirre VP after Roxana Baldetti resigns in wake of customs scandal". New York Daily News. May 14, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
3. "Jurist Chosen as Guatemala’s New VP". Latin American Herald Tribune. May 16, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
4. http://www.cc.gob.gt/congreso/Hojas%20de%20vida%20de%20participantes/Alejandro%20Maldonado%20Aguirre.pdf
5. "Result of Vote In Guatemala Still Unclear". Washington Post. March 9, 1982.
6. "Guatemala's New VP Was a Judge Who Axed Rios Montt Conviction". TeleSUR. May 14, 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
7. Cristina Silva (May 21, 2015). "Guatemala President Resignation Scandal Sees Thousands Of Protesters Demonstrate Against Corruption". International Business Times. Retrieved May 23, 2015.
8. "'Resign Now!' Guatemala's Popular Uprising Grows". TeleSUR. May 20, 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2015.

External links

• Alejandro Maldonado Aguirre: el nuevo Presidente de Guatemala
• Former Constitutional Court Judge Alejandro Maldonado Aguirre Appointed Vice President
• Congressional résumé
• Biography by CIDOB (in Spanish)