"A Facebook account named “Melvin Veum” launched a paid advertising smear campaign on Monday, April 14, that used the logo of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to legitimize false narratives against Guatemalan journalist Quimy de León, director of independent news website Prensa Comunitaria and recipient of CPJ’s 2024 International Press Freedom Award.
The post featured two images that placed de León’s photo alongside CPJ’s logo and depicted a fabricated conversation between a CPJ Latin America researcher and the journalist, according to CPJ’s review of the post, which has since been removed.
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'Online smear campaigns threaten journalists across Guatemala through intimidation and threats of violence, putting independent outlets like Prensa Comunitaria at serious risk,' said CPJ Latin America Program Coordinator Cristina Zahar, in São Paulo. 'Guatemalan authorities must act swiftly to identify and hold accountable those responsible and ensure the safety of Quimy De León and all journalists who carry out essential reporting.'
CPJ’s message to the prosecutor’s office and Santiago Palomo, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo’s communications secretary, did not receive a reply."
