Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales remains under pressure tonight. The United Nations said today that it was, quote, "disturbed" by his decision to expel the head of CICIG, a U.N.-backed anti-corruption unit investigating his campaign financing. The UN called for guarantees that judicial figures would be protected. On Sunday, President Morales declared CICIG's leader Ivan Velasquez, a persona non grata. He did so after firing his Foreign Minister Carlos Raul Morales, who, apparently, refused to expel Velasquez. Following Morales' announcement on Sunday, hundreds of Guatemalans took to the streets, mostly to defend Velasquez outside his offices and in the center of Guatemala City.
Since the expulsion, Guatemala's constitutional court has intervened to stop the order, and UNDER mounting DOMESTIC AND International PRESSURE President Morales has said he will respect the court's decision.
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