The World Briefly
June 16, 2023Unwanted Questions
Guatemala
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A Guatemalan court this week sentenced a prominent journalist to six years in prison on money laundering charges, a trial that prompted criticism from press and human rights groups, NPR reported.
Judges found José Rubén Zamora, founder of Guatemala’s El Periódico newspaper, guilty of money laundering involving funds of nearly $40,000.
Zamora denied the charges and said the money came from the sale of a painting. He added that the money was used to help fund the newspaper and accused the court of bias against him because of articles critical of the government.
Last year, El Periódico published reports uncovering corruption in government contracts. Shortly after publication, Guatemalan authorities arrested Zamora.
The newspaper, considered a respected investigative outfit in Guatemala, eventually shut down in May amid financial and political pressure that followed Zamora’s detention.
The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based advocacy group, called the verdict a “stark testament to the erosion of freedom of speech in the country.”
Officials have insisted there is press freedom in the Central American country and denied that Zamora’s case was politically motivated.
Even so, more than 20 journalists have fled Guatemala in the past year amid fears of government persecution.
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