In Guatemala, vows to fight graft despite US senator's hold

GUATEMALA CITY – Backers of efforts to combat corruption in Guatemala say the work will not be stopped by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio putting a hold on $6 million in U.S. funding for a U.N.-sponsored commission probing graft in the Central American country.

Commission chief Ivan Velasquez tweets that "the fight against impunity and against corruption must continue."

Guatemalan lawmaker Andrea Villagran said Monday that she is confident the hold "should not do significant harm, since it is not a person who makes the decisions — it is a group."

Rubio announced the hold Friday, saying he was concerned that the commission may have been "manipulated and used by radical elements and Russia's campaign against" three Russians who were imprisoned in Guatemala.