texas-moody

Guatemala

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IWMF to offer scholarships in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and México through its ¡Exprésate! 2023 initiative

"The IWMF's ¡Exprésate! [Express Yourself!] initiative seeks to support the production of high quality journalism with a focus on gender and sexual diversity to bring to light the issues faced by women and LGBTQ+ people in Latin America. This April, the initiative will begin its fourth year of the professional development program for journalists in […]

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Guatemalan judge exonerates journalist Carlos Choc, accused of instigating violence after covering protests in 2021

"A Guatemalan judge ordered this Tues., Sept. 13, to release without charges journalist Carlos Choc, who had been accused of instigating violence during a demonstration in 2021. Judge Aníbal Arteaga [...] dismissed the accusations against Choc. The judge said there was insufficient evidence to support the accusation made by the Guatemalan Public Prosecutor's Office (MP, […]

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Guatemala: Financial manager of elPeriódico arrested in case against journalist José Rubén Zamora

"Flora Silva, financial manager of elPeriódico, was arrested by members of the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP, by its Spanish acronym) and the Guatemalan National Police on Fri., Aug. 19, after they raided her home [...], local media reported. The arrest was made as part of the different procedures carried out by the MP relating to […]

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Guatemala: The Case against Journalist José Rubén Zamora Was Built in 72 Hours

"The president and director of Guatemalan newspaper elPeriódico, José Rubén Zamora Marroquín, and assistant attorney Samari Carolina Gómez Díaz will spend at least three months in pre-trial detention on the basis of a single testimony and supposed evidence that Rafael Curruchiche, the head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Impunity (FECI), told El Faro were […]

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Guatemala: Journalist José Rubén Zamora to remain in jail while being prosecuted for alleged racketeering, money laundering and influence peddling

"Guatemalan judge Freddy Orellana issued an indictment and remanded journalist José Rubén Zamora in custody on charges of money laundering, racketeering and influence peddling. (...) As requested by the Prosecutor's Office, the judge ordered that Zamora, 65, remain in jail, where he has been since his arrest on July 29, considering that there is a […]

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Central America and its 'anti-media rhetoric,' a hostile land for press freedom

"Central America has never been known for its commitment to freedom of the press, but in recent months there have been more and more cases of imprisonment of journalists, illegal raids on newsrooms or the closure of radio stations that are a nuisance to the authorities. France 24 spoke to two heavyweights in the defense […]

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Arrest of journalist José Rubén Zamora is a turning point for press freedom in Guatemala, says HRW representative

"[...] The arrest of [journalist José Rubén] Zamora is a watershed event and may, according to Juan Pappier, of the international NGO Human Rights Watch, 'end up being a turning point for press freedom in Guatemala.' Pappier explains: 'It is probably the most serious event we have seen in recent years. Obviously, there were previously […]

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Guatemala: First hearing of journalist José Rubén Zamora, director of elPeriódico, was cancelled again

"Five days after his arrest, José Rubén Zamora, director of elPeriódico, was transferred to the Torre de Tribunales to make his first statement. The Public Prosecutor's Office has declared the case reserved, to the extent that the journalist's lawyers barely had access to the file last Tuesday. In the first instance, the hearing for the […]

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Guatemalan Attorney General's Office accuses journalist José Rubén Zamora of money laundering and influence peddling, and seizes elPeriódico accounts

"The first hearing of well-known Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora, scheduled for Monday morning, was suspended without a new date because the court has not transferred his file. At the same time that this news became known, elPeriódico, the newspaper founded by Zamora, communicated on its Twitter account that the newspaper's bank accounts were seized […]

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Guatemala: Authorities raid offices of elPeriódico and its president José Rubén Zamora

"Journalists and collaborators of elPeriódico reported raids on the central offices of that media outlet, as well as on the residence of its president, José Rubén Zamora. According to a short article published by the Guatemalan media outlet, a vehicle without plates and a patrol of the Special Forces of the National Civil Police (PNC) […]

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Guatemalan official files criminal suit against three journalists under violence against women law

"Guatemalan authorities should drop all charges against three journalists from the independent newspaper elPeriódico and stop using laws intended to protect women from violence to target and intimidate reporters, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On May 13, Judge Anaelsee Ramírez formally notified elPeriódico publisher José Rubén Zamora, editor Gerson Ortiz, and reporter Cristian […]

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US State Department report highlights human rights setback in Guatemala

"The United States pointed to a setback in human rights guarantees in Guatemala and other countries in a report published on April 12 by the State Department. (...) The US State Department stated that, regarding freedom of expression for members of the press and other media, independent media outlets were active and expressed a wide […]