GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Three female judges in Guatemala have emerged as critical figures in the fight for the rule of law in a justice system seen as under attack by powerful interests. Judges Erika Aifán, Gloria Porras and Yassmín Barrios Aguilar have all decided high-profile cases, drawing harassment, attacks and many attempts to remove them from the bench. The work of individual judges has only become more important since the 2019 demise of the United Nations-backed anti-corruption mission that supported the dismantling of major corruption networks and important prosecutions. On Monday, Erika Aifán, a judge from Guatemala’s High-Risk Criminal Court, was awarded the U.S. State Department’s International Women of Courage Award.
