A mission of international press organizations expressed concern on Wednesday about the situation in which journalists and communicators carry out their work in Guatemala and called on the authorities to respect and protect the freedom of expression necessary to guarantee democracy and the legitimacy of the electoral process. underway in the Central American country.
The mission visited the country after the closure at the beginning of the week of the morning newspaper elPeriódico, which attributed this measure to political and economic pressures after the imprisonment of its founder José Rubén Zamora, accused by the prosecution of alleged money laundering. It also takes place in the midst of an investigation of nine journalists and columnists for their publications in that medium, as well as reports of attacks, threats, and harassment of other members of the press, especially those who work in communities.
“The conclusion we reached is extremely worrying not only for the right of journalists and communicators to inform, but mainly for the right of citizens to be informed to make decisions freely and consciously,” the organizations said in a statement.
The organizations that carried out the mission are Reporters Without Borders, the Foundation for Press Freedom, the Committee for the Protection of Journalists, Free Press Unlimited, Fundamedios, IFEX-ALC, Freedom House, Voces del Sur and Article 19.
“This repressive system chooses strategic targets to send an intimidating message to the press in general; daring to denounce the corruption and impunity embedded in the Guatemalan State was enough to unleash the persecution,” the organizations added about the elPeriódico case.
The organizations highlighted that in Guatemala a system of intimidation, silencing and restrictions on the free exercise of journalism is intensifying. “The threats facing the press are historic,” they stated.
“There is a scenario in which the press is seen as a threat to the alliance between state and private actors, created to control institutions and sustain corruption and impunity in the country,” they added.
The organizations asked the international community to be attentive to what is happening in Guatemala. They said that despite requesting meetings with the government, there was no response. Nor was there an immediate official reaction to the statements of these press organizations.
The organizations also complained about the lack of institutions that protect journalists and mentioned the lack of action on the part of the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office, which, they affirm, fails to comply with its mandate.
“While the State is inoperative to investigate attacks against the press and protect journalists, it is agile to accuse and criminalize them,” they said.
According to the mission, the “harassment” of the press in Guatemala began during the then government of President Jimmy Morales (2016-2020), but it worsened, they say, during the current administration of Alejandro Giammattei. They say that some 20 journalists have gone into exile in recent times due to threats.
Meanwhile, the trial against four police officers who beat and detained community journalist Norma Sancir was scheduled to begin on Wednesday, but one of the police officers who is at liberty did not appear and the proceedings were suspended.
Regarding the electoral process that the country is experiencing, the organizations claimed what they considered the lack of access to sources, as well as the lack of transparency of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal, which prohibited officials from speaking to the press.
Countries like the United States and the European Union have expressed concern about what they see as a deterioration of the rule of law in the country, which they say affects sectors other than the press. During the Giammattei administration, at least 35 justice operators, including lawyers, judges, and prosecutors, have gone into exile denouncing criminalization by Attorney General Consuelo Porras, who is close to the president.
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