Roberto Arzú

Roberto Arzú: the trail of the US$6.16 million he owes JJ Rendón, the deeds with «Paco» Domínguez and the US$1 million loan nobody has explained

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Updated: 10 de October, 2026Last verified: 10 de October, 2026

Roberto Arzú García-Granados is a presidential hopeful in Guatemala for 2027 and polls third. He is the only protagonist in this series without a criminal conviction, but with an unusual money trail: debts, not bribes. This piece does not walk through his 18 fronts, but his accounts. First, it reconstructs the US$6.16 million debt to strategist JJ Rendón set by a Miami court. Then, the final electoral fines. Next, the deeds that would link him to an alleged criminal leader. Finally, the US$1 million loan that one outlet attributes to funds of Marllory Chacón. It also separates what appears in documents from what rests on anonymous sources. The analysis by fronts is in Arzú’s case file at Auditoría Abierta.

The short answer. Roberto Arzú’s money is a trail of debts with three levels of solidity. The only firm figure is judicial: a Miami-Dade court ordered him on 11 October 2018 to pay some US$6.16 million to strategist JJ Rendón. It also issued an arrest warrant for contempt in April 2019. Likewise, the 2019 electoral fines are final. By contrast, the deeds with «Paco» Domínguez and the US$1 million loan attributed to funds of Marllory Chacón rest on reports by República. That outlet is a party to a conflict with Arzú. Finally, he has no criminal conviction or formal charge.

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Who Roberto Arzú is and why his case matters in October 2026

Arzú is the eldest son of former president Álvaro Arzú Irigoyen. He founded Futeca in 1988 and sold his shares in 2012. He then ran for president in 2019 and finished fifth. Next, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal left him out in 2023. Finally, in May 2026, the Cabal party ratified him as pre-candidate. The CID Gallup poll of May 2026 placed him third with 13 %.

His case matters for this series by contrast. The other files follow money that came in illicitly. This one, instead, follows money that Arzú owes or has not explained. Moreover, the only judge who has ruled on his assets is a civil one, in Florida. Bajo Lupa walks through the 18 fronts in its Arzú case file.

Timeline of Arzú’s money, decision by decision

DateBodyDecisionEvidence level
2012ArzúSells his Futeca shares to his cousinsProven
February 2016Arzú and JJ Rendón & AssociatesContract to prepare his candidacyProven
22 January 2016IPM and Futeca50-year contracts over the Estadio del Ejército site; rescinded in June after the Comptroller’s objectionProven; Arzú’s involvement disputed
15 November 2016JJ RendónLawsuit for breach of contract in Miami-DadeProven
2018Arzú and Rodrigo Lainfiesta, according to RepúblicaLoan deed for US$1 million secured with inheritance rightsDocument not published in full
11 October 2018Eleventh Circuit of Miami-DadeRuling: US$5.5 million plus US$660,594 in interestFinal
March 2019Arzú and Francisco Domínguez, according to RepúblicaDeeds that would record debts of US$700,000 and Q4 millionDocuments reported by one outlet
10 April 2019Supreme Electoral TribunalUS$80,000 fine for early campaigningFinal on 27 May 2019
17 April 2019Judge Bárbara Areces, Miami-DadeCivil contempt and arrest warrant, enforceable only in FloridaIn force
6 February 2023Supreme Electoral TribunalRevokes his registration over early campaigning and a US$50,000 fine deemed unpaidUpheld by the Constitutional Court on 25 May 2023
25 June 2025EventMurder of Francisco «Paco» Domínguez in Zone 10Proven
October 2025Audio releasedConversation with Domínguez about a debt; Arzú confirms its authenticityAudio without public forensic analysis
November 2025RepúblicaPublishes an audit with Q558,000 in unbanked cash and unreported international financingReport by one outlet

The US$6.16 million: the only firm figure

In February 2016, Arzú hired JJ Rendón & Associates Strategic, the firm of Venezuelan strategist Juan José Rendón, to prepare his candidacy. However, the relationship ended in court. Rendón sued him on 15 November 2016 for breach of contract before the Eleventh Circuit of Miami-Dade. The ruling of 11 October 2018 set US$5.5 million plus US$660,594 in interest, close to US$6.16 million in total, according to Contra Corriente.

Arzú did not appear at the hearings of 4 and 17 April 2019. For that reason, Judge Bárbara Areces found him in civil contempt and ordered his arrest, according to Emisoras Unidas. However, the warrant can only be executed if he is in Florida. His defence argued that nobody notified him and that he only signed a letter of intent. He also called Rendón an «extortionist». The litigation also produced leaked conversations in which a certain «Hugo» would cover the debt. The press attributed the reference to Argentine pharmaceutical businessman Hugo Sigman. Rendón described his former debtor this way, according to Nómada: «He has nothing in his name. He has no income of any kind».

The electoral fines: US$80,000 and US$50,000

Likewise, the second firm flow is the sanctions of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. On 10 April 2019, Arzú was the first presidential candidate sanctioned in that process, according to Prensa Libre. Specifically, the tribunal documented 13 Facebook posts, 8 of them paid, and 11 unregistered posts on Twitter. The fine was US$80,000, some Q612,000. Finally, on 27 May 2019 it became final. Reports differ on whether the PAN-Podemos coalition paid US$80,000 in total or each party.

Separately, the second fine changed his career. In 2023, the FCN-Nación party alleged early campaigning and non-payment of a US$50,000 fine. As a result, on 6 February 2023 the TSE revoked his registration. Arzú maintained that it was paid and that he had submitted the receipt. However, the Constitutional Court upheld the exclusion on 25 May. República puts the fines accumulated by Podemos in 2019 and 2023 at more than US$100,000.

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The Q558,000 in cash and the name of Hugo Sigman

In November 2025, República published that an audit detected Q558,000 in unbanked cash income in Arzú’s campaign finances. Also unreported international financing, prohibited by the Electoral Law. In fact, Sigman’s name had already appeared in 2019. In June of that year, Arzú described him as a «great friend» of more than ten years with whom he holds «representation of several things» in Central America, according to Relato. However, he denied that Sigman financed him. In short, this flow rests on one outlet’s report and a partial admission of a business relationship.

The deeds with «Paco» Domínguez: US$700,000 and Q4 million

Here the level of solidity drops. The Public Prosecutor’s Office linked Francisco Edgar Domínguez Higueros, alias «Paco», to Los Caradura, a drug-dealing structure. Domínguez was murdered on 25 June 2025 in Zone 10, according to Prensa Libre. Then, in late October 2025, an audio between Domínguez and Arzú about a debt circulated. El Metropolitano speaks of US$115,000. República reported deeds of March 2019 that would record debts of US$700,000 and Q4 million, secured with IHOP Guatemala shares.

Arzú confirmed to La Hora that one conversation is authentic. However, he said it concerned the sale of television advertising: «I have sold advertising since I was 20». He also said he was unaware of Domínguez’s criminal links. By contrast, he did not answer República’s questionnaire. There is also no charge and no public forensic analysis of the audio. Following the release, congressman Luis Aguilar withdrew his support within Cabal.

The US$1 million loan: the figure with the least backing

Finally, the gravest flow is also the least documented. According to República, a 2018 deed records a US$1 million loan from Rodrigo Lainfiesta Rímola to Arzú, secured with his inheritance rights over his father’s estate. The English version of the report states it was not repaid. Citing unidentified sources, the outlet attributes the origin of the funds to Marllory Chacón Rossell, «the Queen of the South», convicted in the United States for money laundering. However, the document has not been published in full. Nor has Arzú responded publicly on this point. Therefore, it is an accusation by one outlet based on anonymous sources, not a proven fact.

Futeca and the Estadio del Ejército: a 50-year contract

Separately, the last trail is corporate. On 22 January 2016, the Military Pension Institute (IPM) signed two contracts with Futeca over the site of the former Estadio del Ejército, valued at Q34.2 million, according to Prensa Libre. One was for fifty years to build and operate a stadium with a shopping centre. However, Comptroller Carlos Mencos objected that it had «the characteristics of a concession or usufruct» and the IPM rescinded in June 2016. On Arzú’s role there are opposing versions. On one hand, Prensa Libre published that he «did not take part in the deal». On the other, Con Criterio stated in 2019 that Futeca operated «in partnership with» him. In 2013, a law firm had addressed a legal opinion on that land to him as director of a company called Fideco.

What Arzú says and what his accusers say

Arzú calls Rendón an extortionist and maintains that he only signed a letter of intent. He also says the fines are paid and that his 2023 exclusion was political retaliation. On Domínguez, he admits the audio and speaks of advertising. As for Sigman, he admits friendship and business, but denies financing. On the US$1 million loan, he is silent. His accusers, for their part, are a Florida civil court, the Supreme Electoral Tribunal and, on the gravest flows, the outlet República GT. That outlet has been in a public confrontation with Arzú since March 2026. In August 2026 it named him as the alleged mastermind of a plot against its director. Arzú denies that accusation and announced lawsuits.

How to read this case file

Three keys. First: only two flows are firm, the Miami debt and the TSE fines. Second: the deeds with Domínguez and the Lainfiesta loan are reports by an outlet in conflict with the hopeful. They must be read as allegations, not proven facts. Third: Arzú has no criminal conviction or charge. However, the absence of a conviction does not erase the civil debt or the final fines. To compare with a Guatemalan candidate who was convicted over his campaign money, Bajo Lupa Digital publishes the case file of Manuel Baldizón.

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Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

How much does Roberto Arzú owe JJ Rendón?

Some US$6.16 million: US$5.5 million plus US$660,594 in interest, according to the ruling of the Eleventh Circuit of Miami-Dade of 11 October 2018. It is the only final court figure in his file. Moreover, Arzú did not appear at the April 2019 hearings and the judge ordered his arrest for civil contempt.

Can Arzú be arrested over the debt to Rendón?

Only in Florida. Indeed, the arrest warrant for civil contempt issued by Judge Bárbara Areces in April 2019 cannot be executed outside that state. It is a civil case, not a criminal one.

What electoral fines does Arzú have?

US$80,000 imposed by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal on 10 April 2019 for early campaigning, final since 27 May 2019. In addition, in 2023 the TSE deemed another US$50,000 fine unpaid and revoked his registration. However, Arzú maintains that he paid it.

What are the deeds with «Paco» Domínguez?

Documents of March 2019 that, according to República, would record debts of Arzú for US$700,000 and Q4 million to Francisco Domínguez, alleged leader of Los Caradura and murdered in 2025. The debts would be secured with IHOP Guatemala shares. However, Arzú says it was a sale of advertising. Moreover, there is no charge.

What is the US$1 million loan?

A 2018 deed that, according to República, records a loan from Rodrigo Lainfiesta to Arzú secured with his inheritance rights. The outlet attributes the origin of the money to Marllory Chacón, citing anonymous sources. However, the document has not been published in full and Arzú has not responded.

Does Hugo Sigman finance Roberto Arzú?

Arzú denies it. However, in 2019 he described Sigman as a «great friend» with whom he holds «representation of several things» in Central America. In November 2025, República published that an audit detected Q558,000 in unbanked cash and unreported international financing.

Does Roberto Arzú have any criminal conviction?

No. In November 2025, a judge denied the arrest warrant sought by attorney general Consuelo Porras for obstruction of criminal proceedings. Afterwards, an Appeals Chamber rejected the Public Prosecutor’s Office’s appeals. Therefore, there is no formal charge against him.

What is Futeca’s connection to the Estadio del Ejército?

On 22 January 2016, the Military Pension Institute signed two contracts with Futeca over that site, one for fifty years. However, the Comptroller’s Office objected and the IPM rescinded them in June 2016. Moreover, Arzú had sold his Futeca shares in 2012; his involvement in that deal is disputed among the sources.

Sources consulted

This piece records documented facts and allegations attributed to their authors. The mention of an allegation does not imply its truth, and the position of the person named is recorded in each case. Bajo Lupa Digital offers Roberto Arzú space to respond and will update the text with every development. Information verified as of 8 October 2026.

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