The Special Mission was created under the auspices of the Organization of American States upon request of the President of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo. The US government mission before the OAS proposed Dean Celorio to serve as the United States representative in this initiative, along with Luiz Marrey from Brazil and Rodolfo Pizza from Costa Rica. The mission centered on monitoring the election of justices in Guatemala at the Supreme Court and Appeals Court levels.
The mission visited Guatemala and met with a diversity of government authorities and non-governmental organizations, including its President and Vice-President, to collect information on the criteria and processes that led to the confirmation of more than 150 judges before October 13 of 2024. The mission documented several advances and challenges in the election process, including violations of current international law and human rights law standards concerning the election of judges. Dean Celorio was also selected by her peers to be the main spokesperson of the mission, which led to her presenting its findings before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the OAS Permanent Council, and the press in Guatemala.
Regarding the work of this mission, Dean Celorio indicated that “the principle of judicial independence is critical to build solid democracies and the rule of law. It is a key component of international law and human rights standards concerning the election of judges. Judicial election processes should be free from all forms of discrimination, corruption, and conflicts of interest, and should have adequate safeguards for transparency and access to information. They also should promote the participation of individuals and groups historically underrepresented in justice systems, including women and Indigenous peoples. It has been an honor to support Guatemala in its process to build a strong judiciary and democracy, in accordance with current international law standards in this area.”
The Mission expects to release its final report with recommendations by the end of 2024.