Guatemala: News outlet elPeriódico closes as founder remains jailed

Outlet faced campaign of state pressure amid worsening conditions for independent media in Central America

IPI Contributor Karam Sleiman

May 17, 2023

Founder of elPeriódico, Jose Ruben Zamora speaks during a press conference, in a Guatemalan court, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, 03 August 2022. EPA-EFE/Esteban Biba

The IPI global network is deeply alarmed by the deteriorating press freedom conditions in Guatemala following the closure of news outlet elPeriódico. We call on the government to put a halt to the harassment of journalists in Guatemala and to respect press freedom.

On May 15, one of Guatemala’s most well-known and critical outlets, elPeriódico, closed down, 10 months after its founder, IPI World Press Freedom Hero José Rubén Zamora, was arrested.

elPeriódico is recognized for its critical reporting on government corruption. The outlet was founded in 1996 by Zamora and was directed by investigative journalist Juan Luis Font for 17 years. Font is now in exile. As IPI previously reported, elPeriódico has come under pressure as the government has withdrawn public advertising and leaned on private advertisers to follow suit, worsening the newspaper’s financial situation. The newspaper’s bank accounts were frozen following the arrest of Zamora, who played a crucial role in raising funds for the paper. By November, elPeriódico had laid off 80 percent of its staff and shifted to reporting exclusively digitally.

On July 29, Guatemalan police arrested Zamora and raided the outlet’s offices, which the Association of Guatemalan Journalists said was done to censor the Saturday print edition of elPeriódico. Held in Mariscal Zavala prison, Guatemala City, Zamora is accused of money laundering and influence peddling. Zamora’s arrest and detention are widely seen as t politically motivated. Separately, nine other elPeriódico journalists are being investigated.

The members of IPI at the 71st annual General Assembly during the IPI World Congress in September 2022 unanimously passed a resolution expressing concern over press freedom and the safety of journalists in Mexico and Central America, including Guatemala. In the resolution, IPI denounced the detention of Zamora and demanded his immediate release.

“The closure of elPeriódico is the culmination of a campaign of pressure on the newspaper by the Guatemalan authorities in an effort to silence the newspaper’s voice”, IPI Director of Advocacy Amy Brouillette said. “We reiterate our call on the authorities to release Zamora, stop all forms of attacks on journalists in Guatemala, and take active measures to protect press freedom.”