"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 […]
"[...] 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 […]
"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 […]
"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 […]
"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) […]
"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 […]
"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 […]
"Daniel Villatoro speaks the same way he has lived: with passion, criteria, perseverance, and maturity. He is only 29 years old and has not only led a growing LGBT rights organization in Guatemala, launched a magazine that addresses these issues, won various awards, but is also one of the five winners of the “Journalist of […]
"Guatemalan authorities should immediately dismiss criminal proceedings against journalist Juan Luis Font, allow him to work freely without fear of reprisal, and stop using lawsuits to harass members of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. In late March 2022, the country’s former communications minister Alejandro Sinibaldi brought a criminal case against Font, […]
"Guatemalan authorities should immediately drop criminal charges against journalist Carlos Ernesto Choc, a correspondent for local news outlet Prensa Comunitaria, and stop using the country’s justice system to harass and silence the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On January 14, a criminal court judge in Puerto Barrios, in the eastern Guatemalan department […]
"Guatemalan authorities should conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of journalist Orlando Villanueva, determine if it was connected to his journalism, and bring those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On the afternoon of March 8, an unknown number of unidentified individuals shot and killed Villanueva in a […]
"Despite the complaints, the Guatemalan government assures that 'at no time has it carried out acts of censorship towards the media, reserving only the right of clarification so as not to distort the information.' Sonny Figueroa is not afraid. For one reason only: the truth. Despite threats against him, including death threats, the 29-year-old Guatemalan […]