International News: Prominent journalist detained in Guatemala drawing criticism by press freedom groups

By Zoila Palma Gonzalez: On Friday, Guatemalan authorities raid the El Periodico newspaper office and detained prominent journalist, Jose Ruben Zamora Marroquin, CNN reports.

Several press freedom groups have criticized the Guatemalan government since Zamora’s son believes the raid was done as an attempt at censorship due to the newspaper’s criticism of President Alejandro Giammattei’s government.

Zamora “is one of the main critics of the government of Alejandro Giammattei, and his arrest took place five days after strong complaints against several officials and former officials for corruption in a Sunday section of the morning paper,” El Periodico said in a statement.

Press Freedom groups are calling for the government to release Zamora.

“Guatemalan authorities should immediately release and drop any criminal charges against journalist José Rubén Zamora, president of El Periódico,” said Gypsy Guillén Kaiser, the Advocacy Director of the Committee to Protect Journalists.

The US State Department’s undersecretary for Western Hemisphere affairs, Brian Nichols urged Guatemala for “full respect of due process.”

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) note that journalists have been increasingly targeted for their reporting in recent years.

“Journalists and media outlets who investigate or criticize acts of corruption and human rights violations frequently suffer aggression in the form of harassment campaigns and criminal prosecution,” RSF said.

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