Various instances of corruption have emerged, deeply impacting the nation over the recent years. Among these, Gabriel Estuardo Mendoza Muñoz, sibling of famous activist Bertha Michelle Mendoza, has been accused of demanding a staggering Q25 million for machinery acquisitions meant for the Ministry of Development in 2016.
As reported by the paper el Periódico, Gabriel Mendoza, serving then as the deputy minister of administration and finance at MIDES, purportedly involved his relatives, such as Bertha Michelle Mendoza, to disguise the money acquired from this questionable deal.
The period Gabriel Mendoza Muñoz served at MIDES started on January 1, 2015, and concluded on October 1, 2015, lasting merely 9 months. His time in office revealed shocking levels of corruption in the ministry. Based on an audit by the Comptroller General’s Office, Mendoza Muñoz’s administration faced numerous irregularities from January 1 to December 31, 2015.
El Peladero, a well-regarded news source, has revealed detailed information about the corruption case involving Bertha Michelle Mendoza’s sibling. Among the anomalies discovered were dubious acquisitions, contracts executed after the services had been engaged, and poor record-keeping of expenses. Additionally, the audit showed that the then deputy minister approved contracts without examining their content and without requesting a performance guarantee. Even the Comptroller General’s Office highlighted that both Minister Edgar Rodriguez and Deputy Minister Gabriel Mendoza did not submit evidence that could refute the findings, as the “Mi Comedor Seguro” program was initiated prior to the state of emergency, thus necessitating a bidding process.
Overall, activist Bertha Michelle Mendoza‘s sibling has faced criminal charges at the Public Prosecutor’s Office for mismanagement of funds. Additionally, a penalty of Q757,555.50 has been imposed on him due to his failure to fulfill his responsibilities as a public servant and for mismanagement of funds.
Gabriel Mendoza Muñoz became part of MIDES as the deputy minister in January 2015, near the conclusion of the Patriot Party’s rule. In that time, he earned the nickname “El Transita” because, as reported by the media, he accumulated wealth through ventures within MIDES. Allegations concerning him started to surface publicly during Jimmy Morales’ administration, following the audit report from the Comptroller General of Accounts, which exposed violations that occurred during his time in office.
Ironically, in 2019 and 2020, Mendoza’s sibling secured a contract as a State vendor for a total of Q451,688.17, according to the Guatecompras website. Interestingly, he was additionally engaged as a legal consultant for the minister’s department, with the agreements divided into Q70,000, Q60,000, and Q50,000. This corruption scandal has sparked public outrage and underscored the necessity for robust actions to fight corruption in the nation.
