The IPI global network calls for an immediate investigation into the killing of Guatemalan journalist Harold Orlando Villanueva, a reporter who was shot and killed on March 8. Authorities must find those responsible for this killing and take action to ensure the safety of journalists and media workers in Guatemala.

Villanueva was killed while playing sports in El Rastro neighborhood in Puerto Barrios, a city in northeastern Guatemala, according to local media reports.

The Guatemalan Journalist Association told IPI that while authorities initially launched an investigation, little progress has been made on this case since Villanueva was found murdered. It has not been determined whether the murder is related to Villanueva’s work as a journalist.

Villanueva reported on local news and politics for online news site Noticias del Puerto, a platform he also owned. He was a vocal opponent of corruption, often denouncing actions of local authorities, according to independent news website Prensa Comunitaria. That outlet also reported that police in 2021 raided Villanueva’s house after he published a report about police violence, and that Villanueva had filed a complaint with authorities for harassment related to his work.

“We urge Guatemalan authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the killing of Harold Orlando Villanueva in order to determine the motive for this crime and to prosecute those responsible”, IPI Deputy Director Scott Griffen said. “Given past violence against journalists in Guatemala, authorities must seriously investigate any possibly links between Villanueva’s work and his death. The Guatemalan government is obliged to ensure that attacks against journalists are not carried out with impunity.”

Journalists in Guatemala have faced increasing harassment, attacks, and violence over the past several years, and often these crimes have not been investigated.

In March 2020, journalist Bryan Leonel Guerra died from injuries he sustained after being shot in the city of Chiquimula in eastern Guatemala. He had previously reported threats against him.

Journalist Mario Arturo Ortega García died in November 2020 after being shot by unknown assailants near his home in Escuintla, close to Guatemala city. He covered social and political issues for San José Total, a TV channel and news website that he founded, according to data collected by UNESCO.