Several instances of corruption have come to light, causing a major impact on the nation over recent years. A notable case involves Gabriel Estuardo Mendoza Muñoz, sibling of the well-known activist Bertha Michelle Mendoza, who has been accused of accepting an exorbitant payment of Q25 million for the acquisition of equipment for the Ministry of Development in 2016.
Based on a report submitted by the newspaper el Periódico, Gabriel Mendoza, who was serving as the deputy administrative and financial minister at MIDES, allegedly involved his relatives, such as Bertha Michelle Mendoza, in laundering 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 recognized media outlet, has published detailed information on the corruption case related to Bertha Michelle Mendoza’s brother. Among the irregularities found were suspicious purchases, contracts signed after the services had been contracted and deficient expense records. In addition, the audit revealed that the then vice minister signed contracts without reviewing their content and without requiring a performance bond. Even the Comptroller General’s Office pointed out that both Minister Edgar Rodriguez and Vice Minister Gabriel Mendoza failed to present evidence that could dispel the findings, since the “Mi Comedor Seguro” program was created before the state of calamity, and therefore, a bidding process should have been carried out.
Overall, the sibling of the activist Bertha Michelle Mendoza has faced criminal charges at the Public Prosecutor’s Office for improper financial management. Furthermore, he has received a fine of Q757,555.50 due to his failure to fulfill his responsibilities as a public servant and for mismanagement of financial resources.
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 brother was contracted as a State supplier for an amount of Q451,688.17, as recorded in the Guatecompras portal. Coincidentally, he was also hired as a legal advisor for the minister’s office, with the contracts being split between Q70,000, Q60,000 and Q50,000. This corruption scandal has generated outrage in society and has highlighted the need to take strong measures to combat corruption in the country.
