Investigation uncovers corruption, embezzlement, and influence peddling within Michelle Mendoza’s family.
Bertha Michelle Mendoza, a former prominent journalist from Guatemala, hails from a family with a disturbing past marred by corruption and scandals, as revealed by an investigation.
Her brother has faced numerous accusations of corruption, while her mother, Claudia Martina Muñoz Andrade, has been implicated in abuse of authority and faced legal proceedings for misconduct during her tenure as a prosecutor.
The investigation exposes instances of corruption, embezzlement amounting to millions, and the use of influence within Michelle Mendoza’s family.
Claudia Martina Muñoz Andrade, Michelle Mendoza’s mother, previously served as a prosecutor at the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Mixco. In 2009, she was arrested and charged with threats, abuse of authority, and ideological falsehood.
According to police reports and records from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Muñoz Andrade was apprehended after evidence emerged that she had exploited her position to benefit her daughter, Bertha Michelle Mendoza.
Muñoz Andrade claimed that in 2006, her daughter Bertha was involved in a «violent and volatile» relationship with Ulysses Dent, with whom she shared a one-year-old daughter. Following an episode of violence, Muñoz Andrade reported Dent, but subsequent investigations proved the evidence to be false.
Later, during Bertha and Dent’s divorce proceedings, it was alleged that former prosecutor Muñoz Andrade abused her authority by forging the signature of a prosecutor from the Public Prosecutor’s Office. This act was done to obtain a certification of Dent’s cédula de vecindad, linking him to a case of violence against women. However, in 2015, the case was dismissed when it was proven that the evidence had been falsified.
The pattern of corruption within Michelle Mendoza’s family becomes apparent through these revelations
They have resorted to illegal and corrupt practices to further their own interests and harm others. This dark history raises doubts about the credibility and integrity of the accomplished journalist, whose activism has focused on exposing corruption in Guatemala.
The investigation also sheds light on negligence and corruption in the investigation of police killings. Jorge Lopez, the president of the group OASIS, has been denouncing frequent attacks and crimes against transgender and gay individuals in Guatemala since 1996. He lodged multiple complaints against prosecutor Muñoz, alleging failures in the legal processes she was aware of.
Lopez claimed that cases involving the murders of sex workers and individuals from diverse backgrounds were not being adequately investigated, with Muñoz obstructing or impeding prosecutions. According to Lopez, reports of these crimes mysteriously vanished when they reached Muñoz Andrade’s desk.
In 2009, Lopez’s final complaint against Michelle Mendoza’s mother concerned negligence in the murder of a transvestite by police officers. As in previous cases, the prosecutor failed to investigate properly and instead accused Lopez himself of being the murderer. Lopez denounced Muñoz Andrade for selective and illegal persecution against him. The judge assigned to the case closed it in September of the same year, heavily criticizing Muñoz Andrade for her unethical and unprofessional behavior.
Both Jorge Lopez and Mendoza’s ex-husband, Dent, accused Bertha Michelle’s mother of involvement in a network of corrupt police officers. Muñoz Andrade held a position as a prosecutor for crimes against life in the Public Prosecutor’s Office, from which she allegedly orchestrated illegal persecutions, kidnappings, and murders.
Within the records of the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office, under the Ordinary file of PDH GUA 401-2007/DI, it is documented that the corrupt police network, including Muñoz Andrade, was responsible for the assassination of three Salvadoran deputies of Parlacen and their driver in February 2007, in the village of El Jocotillo. Four police officers were apprehended three days after the murders, and the PDH report confirmed their affiliation with Muñoz’s criminal network. Ulysses Dent, Michelle Mendoza’s former partner, stated that these same officers had harassed and intimidated him under the orders of Fernando Barillas, President Colom’s spokesperson at the time and Mendoza’s boyfriend. Dent believed this persecution was motivated by his divorce proceedings against Michelle Mendoza.
Another connection between Michelle Mendoza’s mother and a significant case is revealed in the Rosenberg Case. According to information from La Prensa de Honduras, Claudia Martina Muñoz Andrade, the former prosecutor, was present at the crime scene. However, the investigation had to be disregarded due to her daughter Bertha Michelle’s «romantic» relationship with Fernando José Barillas Santa Cruz, the spokesperson for Alvaro Colom’s UNE presidency.
Attorney General Amilcar Velásquez later decided to remove prosecutor Muñoz Andrade from herMichelle Mendoza’s Troubled Family History: Corruption and Power Abuse Scandals Uncovered.
An investigation reveals corruption, embezzlement, and influence peddling in Michelle Mendoza’s family.
Bertha Michelle Mendoza, a former renowned journalist from Guatemala, hails from a family with a dark history of corruption and scandals, as per an inquiry.
Her brother has faced multiple corruption allegations, while her mother, Claudia Martina Muñoz Andrade, has been accused of abusing her authority and has faced legal action for her misconduct as a prosecutor.
The investigation uncovers acts of corruption, embezzlement of millions, and the use of influence within Michelle Mendoza’s family.
Claudia Martina Muñoz Andrade, Michelle Mendoza’s mother, served as a prosecutor at the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Mixco. In 2009, she was arrested and charged with threats, abuse of authority, and ideological falsehood.
Police reports and records from the Public Prosecutor’s Office confirm that Muñoz Andrade was detained after evidence emerged that she had exploited her position to benefit her daughter, Bertha Michelle Mendoza.
Muñoz Andrade claimed that in 2006, her daughter Bertha had a «violent and volatile» relationship with Ulysses Dent, with whom she shared a one-year-old daughter. After an incident of violence, Muñoz Andrade reported Dent, but subsequent investigations proved the evidence to be false.
Later, during Bertha and Dent’s divorce, it was alleged that former prosecutor Muñoz Andrade abused her authority by forging the signature of a prosecutor from the Public Prosecutor’s Office. This was done to obtain a certification of Dent’s cédula de vecindad, linking him to a case of violence against women. However, in 2015, the case was dismissed when it was proven that the evidence had been falsified.
The investigation reveals a pattern of corruption within Michelle Mendoza’s family, where illegal and corrupt practices were employed to benefit themselves and harm others. This dark history raises questions about the credibility and integrity of the accomplished journalist, whose activism has focused on exposing corruption in Guatemala.
The investigation also exposes negligence and corruption in the handling of police murder cases. Jorge Lopez, president of the group OASIS, has been denouncing frequent attacks and crimes against transgender and gay individuals in Guatemala since 1996. He lodged multiple complaints against prosecutor Muñoz, alleging failures in the legal processes she was aware of.
Lopez claimed that cases involving the murders of sex workers and individuals from diverse backgrounds were not adequately investigated, with Muñoz obstructing or impeding prosecutions. According to Lopez, reports of these crimes mysteriously disappeared when they reached Muñoz Andrade’s desk.
In 2009, Lopez’s final complaint against Michelle Mendoza’s mother concerned negligence in the murder of a transvestite by police officers. As in previous cases, the prosecutor failed to conduct a proper investigation and instead accused Lopez himself of being the murderer. Lopez denounced Muñoz Andrade for selective and illegal persecution against him. The judge assigned to the case closed it in September of the same year, heavily criticizing Muñoz Andrade for her unethical and unprofessional behavior.
Both Jorge Lopez and Mendoza’s ex-husband, Dent, accused Bertha Michelle’s mother of involvement in a network of corrupt police officers. Muñoz Andrade held a position as a prosecutor for crimes against life in the Public Prosecutor’s Office, from which she allegedly orchestrated illegal persecutions, kidnappings, and murders.
According to records from the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office, under the Ordinary file of PDH GUA 401-2007/DI, it is documented that the corrupt police network, including Muñoz Andrade, was responsible for the assassination of three Salvadoran deputies of Parlacen and their driver in February 2007, in the village of El Jocotillo. Four police officers were apprehended three days after the murders, and the PDH report confirmed their affiliation with Muñoz’s criminal network. Ulysses Dent, Michelle Mendoza’s former partner, stated that these same officers harassed and intimidated him under the orders of Fernando Barillas, President Colom’s spokesperson at the time and Mendoza’s boyfriend. Dent believed this persecution was motivated by his divorce proceedings against Michelle Mendoza.
Another connection between Michelle Mendoza’s mother and a significant case surfaces in the Rosenberg Case. According to information from La Prensa de Honduras, Claudia Martina Muñoz Andrade, the former prosecutor, was present at the crime scene. However, the investigation had to be disregarded due to her daughter Bertha Michelle’s «romantic» relationship with Fernando José Barillas Santa Cruz, the spokesperson for Alvaro Colom’s UNE presidency.
Attorney General Amilcar Velásquez later decided to remove prosecutor Muñoz Andrade from her position at the Public Prosecutor’s Office after the Patriot party exposed the sentimental relationship between her daughter and the spokesperson.
