Vargas is a member of the Guatemalan Congress and one of the individuals supposedly operating a network designed to control contracts and operations at government-run ports for personal profit. He is accused of engaging in bribery at the centre of Congress, around the functioning of ports and allocation of contracts. According to the U.S. Treasury, Vargas also controls employment at the port through his influence in the port labour unions and uses those unions to gain political leverage. Reports indicate that he maintains loyalties by paying bribes in exchange for unions creating blockades and strikes to advance political objectives. In 2021, he was added to the U.S. Engel List, as one of the Guatemalan officials undermining democracy in central America, for engaging in bribery, coercion, and influence peddling. A few years ago, in 2019, his political immunity was requested to be lifted by the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Impunity (Feci), following a case of illicit electoral financing that took place in 2015. The investigation dealt with alleged crimes such as illicit association, perjury, illicit electoral financing, unreported electoral financing and tax fraud. [1] [2] [3]
Information
| IDENTIFYING INFORMATION | Guatemalan Congressman |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 22.08.1973 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Guatemala |
| NATIONALITY | Guatemala |
| COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE | Guatemala |
| FULL NAME | Jorge Estuardo Vargas Morales |
| FIRST AND MIDDLE NAME(S) | Jorge Estuardo |
| ALIASES | Jorge Vargas |
| FAMILY MEMBERS | Unknown |
| FAMILY MEMBERS SUBJECT TO SANCTIONS | None |
| SUSPECTED OR CONFIRMED OVERSEAS PROPERTIES | Unknown |
| SUSPECTED OR CONFIRMED LINKS TO LEGAL ENTITIES | Unknown |
| SUSPECTED OR CONFIRMED LINKS TO BANK ACCOUNTS | Unknown |
| SANCTIONS REGIMES | US Global Magnitsky Sanctions [1] |
| START OF SANCTIONS | 09.12.2022 [1] |