US celebrates release of journalist who denounced corruption by former Guatemalan president
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols welcomed the release of Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora, reaffirming Washington's commitment to defending press freedom in the region.
The United States government celebrated on Tuesday the release of Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora, who was in prison for more than 800 days without conviction and who is now under house arrest while two legal cases against him are heard.
The Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs of the United States, Brian A. Nichols, referred to the process against Zamora on his account on the social network X, where he reiterated that Washington "will continue to advocate throughout the Americas for freedom of the press, freedom of expression, transparency and an independent judiciary." We join Guatemalans in celebrating the granting of house arrest to José Rubén Zamora after more than 800 days of delay in justice. The United States will continue to advocate throughout the Americas for freedom of the press, freedom of expression, transparency and an independent judiciary," wrote the American official.
We join Guatemalans in celebrating the granting of house arrest to José Rubén Zamora after more than 800 days of delay in justice. The United States will continue to advocate throughout the Americas for freedom of the press, freedom of expression, and… — Brian A. Nichols (@WHAAsstSecty) October 22, 2024 Zamora, 67, was arrested in July 2022, after publishing an editorial in his defunct media outlet El Periódico, titled "The Fable of the Ogre and the Little Prince who wanted everything," where he describes a web of corruption in the government of former President Alejandro Giammattei.
Giammattei governed Guatemala from 2020-2024 and after leaving power he was sanctioned by the US government, which accused him of "significant corruption" during his term.
A chain of irregularities The Public Prosecutor's Office accused Zamora of money laundering, blackmail, influence peddling and obstruction of justice. For the first, he was convicted in 2023, but the Supreme Court's Appeals Chamber overturned the sentence and ordered a new trial. In neither case has there been a final verdict.
One of the heads of the Prosecutor's Office behind the accusations against Zamora is Rafael Curruchiche, head of the fiscal unit designated to investigate high-impact cases and who is on the United States State Department's list of corrupt and anti-democratic actors.
At least ten lawyers have resigned from taking on Zamora's defense, for fear of reprisals. In two cases, after being in charge of the journalist's defense, the lawyers were notified of investigations against them.
The president of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, who took power in January, considered that Zamora's imprisonment "is the clear example of the corruption and abuse of power that prevails in the Public Prosecutor's Office." Arévalo visited the journalist at his home, where he is under house arrest.
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