Guatemala Suspends Its L.A. Consul

The government of Guatemala suspended its Los Angeles-based consul general this week as authorities investigate accusations that he made a fraudulent Guatemalan passport for his lover and arranged for her to obtain a U.S. diplomatic visa under false pretenses.

The investigation comes after an article in the Los Angeles Times detailed allegations against Fernando Castillo, one of the highest-ranking Guatemalan diplomats in the western United States, by a former beauty contestant who said she was his jilted lover.

Julia Arana, a 2000 finalist for Miss Guatemala, made the accusations in immigration court in Las Vegas as part of her efforts to fight deportation. Arana, an illegal immigrant who has been arrested on suspicion of passport fraud, is seeking asylum.

Valentina Flores, a spokeswoman for the Guatemalan Ministry of Foreign Relations, said Wednesday that a commission has been formed to conduct the inquiry into Castillo’s actions.

In the meantime, the consul general is to be suspended 30 days to six months. If the commission determines that the allegations are true, he could be fired, Flores said.

In a statement, Castillo said it was his idea to step down temporarily. He recommended taking a 30-day leave of absence so the government could “investigate and evaluate the various issues arising from the matter before the immigration court in Las Vegas,” the statement said.

“The foreign minister concurred with my recommendation, and I have taken such a leave,” Castillo wrote. “I welcome and will cooperate completely in this process.”

The consul general, 35, who is married, has denied having an affair with Arana and arranging for fraudulent documents. He said he had been friends with Arana before their relationship soured.

Arana, 29, expressed relief and surprise at the Guatemalan government’s action.

“Oh, my God!” she said. “My heart is pounding.”

The U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City is also looking into possible fraud in the issuance of the diplomatic visa to Arana. And U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is reviewing whether its agents acted properly when they arrested her in March 2004.

In her deportation case in Las Vegas, Arana has applied for asylum, arguing that Castillo’s influence with the Guatemalan government would leave her vulnerable to retaliation in her homeland.

A judge has tentatively indicated that Arana should be deported, but a final decision is pending.

In court hearings, Arana testified that she met Castillo in September 2001 and that they began an “intimate” relationship. While they were dating, she said, Castillo had a false Guatemalan passport made for her and arranged to get her a diplomatic U.S. visa to work as his family’s nanny.

After their affair ended badly, Arana said, Castillo pushed to get her arrested by U.S. immigration authorities.

Castillo contends that Arana is a liar who harassed him when he refused to participate in an illegal scheme to help her stay in the United States.

Castillo said he sought a restraining order against her, but later dropped it.

Erick Solares, executive director of the Guatemalan Unity Information Agency, a Los Angeles social services agency, said Castillo’s alleged actions have undermined the credibility of the Guatemalan government in Los Angeles and the situation needs to be resolved.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s true or if it’s not true,” Solares said. “The damage has been done.”