Luis Rabbé

Luis Armando Rabbé Tejada (born 26 May 1956) is a Guatemalan politician and media entrepreneur. He was President of the Congress of Guatemala between 14 January 2015 and 14 January 2016. Rabbé was elected to the Congress of Guatemala in the 2011 elections for the National List under the banner of National Change Union. Three months after being installed he became an independent member. In the 2015 general election Rabbé ran once more for the National List, this time as the number two of the Renewed Democratic Liberty (LIDER).

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Rabbé and the second or maternal family name is Tejada.
Luis Rabbé
President of the Congress of Guatemala
In office
14 January 2015 – 14 January 2016
Vice PresidentArístides Crespo (First)
Julio López (Second)
Selvin García (Third)
Preceded byArístides Crespo
Succeeded byMario Taracena
Member of the Congress of Guatemala
In office
14 January 2012 – 22 September 2016
ConstituencyNational List
Minister of Communications
In office
January 2000 – June 2001
PresidentAlfonso Portillo
Personal details
Born (1956-05-26) 26 May 1956
Political partyGuatemalan Republic Front (before 2012)
National Change Union (until March 2012)
Independent (since March 2012)

As member of the Guatemalan Republic Front (FRG) Rabbé unsuccessfully ran for the office of mayor of Guatemala City in 1999. He subsequently served as Minister of Communications in the government of Alfonso Portillo between 2000 and 2001. In the 2007 presidential election Rabbé was an unsuccessful candidate for the FRG.

Career and media

Rabbé was born on 26 May 1956.[1]

Rabbé had a career in media. He was president of Televisiete, director of Radio Sonaro and later of Noti 7. Rabbé has also been an investor and director of the magazine Proceso.[2]

Political career

In 1999 Rabbé started his political career. In the 1999 general elections he ran for the position of mayor of Guatemala City for the Guatemalan Republic Front (FRG). He lost against Fritz García Gallont.[2]

In the same 1999 general elections Alfonso Portillo was elected President. Rabbé served in his government as Minister of Communication between January 2000 and June 2001.[2] Rabbé was a presidential candidate for the FRG in the 2007 elections, he obtained 7,29% of the vote in the first round and was eliminated from the race.[3]

The contacts Rabbé build up during his time as Minister gave him the opportunity to successfully run for Congress in the 2011 elections under the banner of National Change Union of Mario Estrada. Estrada had also served in the government of Portillo.[2] Three months after being installed as Deputy Rabbé resigned from the National Change Union and became an independent member of Congress. He is a Deputy for the National List.[1][4]

Rabbé ran for the office of President of the Congress in 2013, but saw his attempt fail due to lack of support of Roberto Alejos and his party Todos.[2] On 30 October 2014 was elected as President of the Congress, he was elected at the same time as the other members of the governing council. The group received 85 votes in favor and took office on 14 January 2015. Large parts of the opposition were absent during the vote.[5] The group received support from the Patriotic Party and National Unity of Hope.[2] As President, Rabbé succeeded Arístides Crespo, who was elected first vice-president.[6]

In the 2015 general election Rabbé ran once more for the National List, this time as the number two of the Renewed Democratic Liberty (LIDER) list.[7][8]

Rabbé's term as President of the Congress ended on 14 January 2016, he was succeeded by Mario Taracena.[9] In April 2016 Rabbé switched parties to Alianza Ciudadana, becoming the last deputy to be allowed to do so in the term of Congress.[10]

In 2016 Rabbé became target of investigation in the plazas fantasmas scandal involving members of Congress. The investigation was led by the public prosecution service and the Comisión Internacional contra la Impunidad en Guatemala.[11] Rabbé and Arístides Crespo were seen as leaders of a group of seven deputies involved in abuse of power, misuse of state money and illegally appointing people to positions in government.[11] Rabbé claimed immunity on charges against him. The Corte Suprema de Justicia de Guatemala however lifted his immunity in August 2016.[11] In August Rabbé wrote a letter to Congress President Mario Taracena asking him to allow him to be absent from the Congress for a one-month period. He stated to wish to have some personal meetings abroad in relation to the charges against him. Rabbé meanwhile flew to Mexico City.[12] On 5 September an arrest warrant for Rabbé was made public.[13] On 22 September Rabbé lost his seat in the Congress and was temporarily replaced by Fernando García Gudiel.[14]

Personal life

Rabbé's brother Alfredo is a politician as well. Like his brother he was elected to Congress in 2011 for the National Change Union and left the party at the same time to continue as independent.[2]

Luis Rabbé is brother-in-law to Mexican media entrepreneur Remigio Ángel González.[15] González donated $2.6 million to the 1999 Presidential campaign of Alfonso Portillo. After becoming President, Portillo named Rabbé Minister of Communication.[16]

References
  1. "Luis Armando Rabbé Tejada" (in Spanish). Congress of Guatemala. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  2. "Luis Rabbé: De ministro a presidente del Congreso" (in Spanish). Soy 502. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  3. "Republic of Guatemala, Electoral Results, Presidential, First round, 9 September 2007". Political Database of the Americas. 17 October 2007. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  4. "Séptima Legislatura 2012-2016" (in Spanish). Congress of Guatemala. Archived from the original on 11 December 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  5. Tulio Juárez/Enrique García (30 October 2014). "Congreso elige Junta Directiva para periodo 2015-2016" (in Spanish). El Periodico. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2015.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. "Luis Rabbé, próximo presidente del Congreso" (in Spanish). Soy 502. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  7. Eddy Coronado (7 September 2015). "Líder y UNE serían mayoría en el Congreso" (in Spanish). Prensa Libre. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  8. Amilcar Avila (3 May 2015). "Luis Rabbé, candidato a diputado por el Listado Nacional con Líder" (in Spanish). publinews. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  9. "Mario Taracena se convierte en el Presidente del Congreso" (in Spanish). La Red. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  10. "Luis Rabbé, el último de los tránsfugas" (in Spanish). Prensa Libre. 12 April 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  11. Jerson Ramos (18 August 2016). "Luis Rabbé queda sin inmunidad por caso de plazas fantasma" (in Spanish). Prensa Libre. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  12. Tulio Júarez (19 August 2016). "El mismo día que voló a México DF, Luis Rabbé pedía un mes de permiso al Congreso, pero la carta fue presentada hasta hoy" (in Spanish). El Periodico. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  13. "Juzgado ordena captura de diputado Luis Rabbé" (in Spanish). Prensa Libre. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  14. Jessica Gramajo (22 September 2016). "Congreso separa temporalmente a Luis Rabbé" (in Spanish). Prensa Libre. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  15. Francisco Reséndiz (28 January 2007). "El fantasma detrás del poder en América Latina" (in Spanish). El Universal. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  16. Will Weissert (9 June 2002). "Domination of Latin airwaves has 'Ghost' scaring his critics". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
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