A prominent editor of a Guatemalan newspaper that oversaw corruption investigations was arrested, prompting complaints Saturday from politicians, anti-corruption activists and civic groups.
Prosecutors arrested Jose Ruben Zamora Marroquin at his home Friday night, raided his home, confiscated phones and charged him with laundering. Zamora Marroquín is an award-winning journalist who runs the newspaper El Periódico.
“This is an orchestrated plan, the goal of which is no longer to prosecute the corrupt, but the opponents,” said human rights activist Eleonora Muralles. doubts about their impartiality, to gather instances and evidence contrary to the opponents. “
Journalists demonstrated Saturday in a courthouse where the case is being heard.
U. S. Congressman James P. McGovern, D-Mass. , wrote that he was “deeply concerned” about the detention.
McGovern wrote on his Twitter account: “The formula of justice is already decimated, the next one is the Free Press?Journalism is a crime!
Zamora Marroquín has declared a hunger strike. Speaking in court, he said, “I haven’t eaten or any water in 36 hours. “
The U. S. government The U. S. has sharply criticized the weakening of anti-corruption efforts in Guatemala and last year revoked the U. S. visa. UU. de Guatemalan Attorney General Consuelo Porras, who prosecuted former prosecutors who had conducted corruption investigations against officials.
More former anti-corruption officials have fled the country. Now, this effort turns out to have spread to journalists.
Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei rejected the denunciation through U. S. officials of his attorney general and what they see as a setback in Guatemala’s fight against corruption. undermining democracy. He is accused of obstructing corruption investigations.
Giammattei’s government and prosecutors have accelerated efforts initiated by his predecessor to quell a U. N. -backed anti-corruption crusade that put several more sensible officials, including former presidents, in jail. They say those prosecutions themselves were inappropriate.
In addition, several Guatemalans, in addition to two Supreme Court justices, were allegedly in a plan to fill the Supreme and Appeals Courts with corrupt judges, according to the State Department report.
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