Guatemalan President Resigns Amid Corruption Scandal

Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina has resigned after a judge issued a warrant for his arrest.



"The president of the Republic of Guatemala Otto Pérez Molina presented his resignation on Sept. 2 of this year, with the goal of maintaining the institution of the executive branch and resolving the legal case against him on his own," presidential spokesman Jorge Ortega confirmed in a statement.



Hours earlier, the Office of the Public Prosecutor announced a judge granted its request for a warrant for Pérez Molina's arrest. He is accused of illicit association, passive bribery, and customs fraud but has not yet been formally charged.



Pérez Molina has been at the center of a firestorm of public protest since a crackdown in April on a corruption network involving public officials. According to prosecutors, Pérez Molina is a key figure in a criminal network that defrauded the state of an estimated $120 million in customs revenue.



Congress voted Tuesday to strip the president of his immunity from prosecution, paving the way for legal proceedings.



Pérez Molina intends to cooperate and will appear voluntarily to face the judge Thursday morning, his lawyer told reporters.



It is now up to Congress to formally accept Pérez Molina's resignation, swear in current Vice President Alejandro Maldonado, and begin proceedings to appoint a new vice president.



Pérez Molina's former Vice President Roxana Baldetti stepped down in May. She was arrested last month in connection with the same customs fraud scandal. More than two-dozen individuals, including other high level public officials, also remain in custody facing trial.



Guatemalans have been taking to the streets in massive demonstrations since April, demanding the president's resignation, justice, and systemic change.



Many protesters maintain that conditions are not right for elections given the current situation. General elections are scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 6. - Nikaragua