WASHINGTON, DC — Today, a bipartisan group of 14 Members of Congress sent a letter to the Deputy Secretary of State, John Sullivan, underscoring the importance of the upcoming selection processes for new Attorneys General in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The letter comes as Guatemala formally begins the process of selecting its next Attorney General; within the next twelve months, each of the Northern Triangle countries will select a new Attorney General.

The current Attorneys General in the Northern Triangle have earned international praise for their efforts to fight corruption and organized crime; Guatemalan Attorney General Thelma Aldana was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2017.

The letter noted that each of the Attorneys General “has shown a willingness to cooperate with the United States, as well as the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) and the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH).”

The Members of Congress also urged the Northern Triangle governments to “prioritize the selection of candidates who have impeccable legal credentials and who have demonstrated a clear commitment to transparency, anti-corruption efforts, judicial independence, and adherence to the rule of law.”

The letter was drafted and circulated by the co-Chairs of the Central America Caucus, David G. Valadao (R-CA) and Norma J. Torres (D-CA); it was signed by twelve additional members of Congress, six Democrats and six Republicans. The co-signers were: Representatives Michael T. McCaul (R-TX), Eliot L. Engel (D-CA), Paul Cook (R-CA), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Kay Ganger (R-TX), Robin L. Kelly (D-IL),  John R. Moolenaar (R-MI), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Francis Rooney (R-FL), and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).

The letter text is below. You can view the original letter here.