His Excellency Alfonso Portillo Cabrera
President
Casa Presidencial
6° Avenida, y 5° Calle, Zona 1
Guatemala City
Guatemala

Vienna, 23 February 2001

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors and media executives, is deeply concerned about the continued harassment of the Guatemalan daily elPeriódico, following a violent demonstration in front of its offices.

According to IPI’s sources, on 20 February, a group of over 50 people surrounded and tried to force entry into the offices of elPeriódico and Nuestro Diario The demonstrators were armed with stones, clubs and bottles and threw burning newspapers and rags at the main entrance of the building. After shouting threats at elPeriódico’s editors, the demonstrators proceeded to a nearby square. Journalists and reporters that followed the group were also attacked. One photographer was slightly injured and his camera damaged.

The angry crowd was composed of followers of both the ruling Guatemalan Republican Front party (Frente Republicano Guatemalteco – FRG) and of Luis Rabbé, Minister of Communications. IPI has also been informed that some of the demonstrators were identified as being employees of the Ministry of Communications. Rabbé’s position as minister has repeatedly been questioned by the newspaper which has alleged that, among other things, he distributed millions of dollars in public works contracts to non-existent construction companies.

Aside from the violent demonstration, there has been an orchestrated campaign to intimidate elPeriódico. In the last two weeks the TV news programmes Notisiete and Telediario, as well as the radio news programme Sonora, have sought to discredit the newspaper. Various articles published by elPeriódico over the last year on government corruption, especially by the Ministry of Communications, were distorted on these news programmes. Appearing on one of these programmes, Rabbé even issued a veiled threat against José Rubén Zamora, President of elPeriódico, and to Gonzalo Marroquín of Prensa Libre.

Speaking of the incident, Zamora, who was named one of IPI’s “50 World Press Freedom Heroes” last year said, “This small demonstration was without a doubt organised and carried out by the Minister of Communications”.

IPI understands that Your Excellency has already condemned the violent protest and that you will personally oversee a presidential investigation into whether Rabbé’s office was behind the attack. We urge you to see that this is done and that the continued harassment of elPeriódico and the independent press in your country is brought to a halt. Furthermore, IPI would remind you that afree and independent media is an integral part of any society and the failure to uphold this principle has profound implications for democracy in Guatemala.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director