(Reuters) – Former President Alfonso Portillo returned to Guatemala on Wednesday following his release from a U.S. prison, nearly six-years after his arrest on money laundering charges.
The 63-year-old, who served as president from 2000 to 2004, struck a repentant note on his arrival at Guatemala City’s international airport, and expressed interest in becoming politically active once more. “I return as the prodigal son who made a mistake and I recognize it,” Portillo said. “My dream is to create a democratic front with various sectors and make a proposal to the country.”
Portillo was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison by a New York court last May, for taking $2.5 million in bribes from Taiwan and laundering funds through U.S. banks. But at the time, he had already spent more than four years in jail since his arrest in 2010, which allowed him to slash his jail time in the United States.
