Guatemala City, July 31 (BNA): A prominent Guatemalan newspaper editor who oversaw investigations into corruption has been arrested, drawing condemnation from politicians, anti-corruption activists and civic groups on Saturday, the Associated Press reported.
Prosecutors arrested Jose Ruben Zamora Marroquin at his home Friday night, searched his home, seizing phones and accusing him of money laundering. Zamora Marroquín is an award-winning journalist who heads El Predeco newspaper.
“This is an organized plan, as the goal is now not to go after the corrupt, but to go after the opponents,” said human rights activist Eleonora Morales. “The strategy is to include the entire system and have the judges – with serious doubts about their impartiality – collect cases and evidence against opponents.”
On Saturday, the journalists protested before a court hearing the case.
US Congressman James B.
McGovern wrote on his Twitter account, “The judiciary is already devastating, is a free press next? Journalism is not a crime!”
Zamora Marroquin announced his hunger strike. He told the court session: “I haven’t eaten anything and I haven’t drank any water for 36 hours.”
The US government has been highly critical of Guatemala’s weak anti-corruption efforts and last year revoked the US visa for Guatemalan Attorney General Consuelo Porras, who had been pursuing former prosecutors who conducted corruption investigations against officials.
Most of the former anti-corruption officials have fled the country. Now that effort appears to have extended to journalists.
Guatemalan President Alejandro Giamatti has dismissed criticism by US officials of his attorney general and what they see as Guatemala’s backtracking from the fight against corruption. The country’s new special prosecutor to combat impunity has been placed on the US list of people suspected of corruption or undermining democracy. He is accused of obstructing corruption investigations.
Giamatti’s government and prosecutors have accelerated efforts initiated by his predecessor to overturn the UN-backed anti-corruption campaign that has put many high-ranking officials, including former presidents, behind bars. They say those trials themselves were irregular.
Furthermore, a number of Guatemalans, including two Supreme Court justices, are allegedly involved in a scheme to stack the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals with corrupt judges, according to a State Department report.
AOQ