Guatemalan Newspaper Chief To Stand Trial For Money Laundering As Its Print Edition Forced To Stop

The chief of an investigative newspaper in Guatemala is being ordered to stand trial for money laundering, influence peddling and blackmailing, among other charges, on Thursday as El Periódico's print edition is forced to stop due to the arrest.

José Rubén Zamora, the director of investigative newspaper El Periódico, has been ruled by a judge to stand trial for charges of money laundering, influence peddling, and blackmailing after he had reportedly asked a friend to deposit a donation for the newspaper to keep running after the government but the latter removed its advertising from the paper and encouraged businesses to do the same, according to the Associated Press.

The anonymous donor had reportedly donated funds to the newspaper in order to keep it running during the financial crisis it faced after the government started its boycott of the newspaper, which is well-known for its investigative journalism that looked into instances of government corruption, including for the administration of President Alejandro Giammattei.

Zamora was arrested in July for these charges, which many organizations have called a politically motivated attack on the journalists of the country, with it being described as the Guatemalan government’s attempt to silence journalists.

El Periódico itself was forced to stop its print edition on Wednesday due to a lack of funds, having to let go many of its reporters and staff as the government’s campaign of stopping businesses from advertising in the newspaper continued, NBC News reported.

The closure came at the country’s Day of the Journalist, with Zamora highlighting in the last printed editorial of the newspaper its “struggle against corruption and impunity, against governmental abuses and terrorism.”

Mario Recinos from the Guatemalan Association of Journalists said that at least five other journalists have also been forced into exile due to fears of persecution, while other human rights organizations and the United States government have criticized what is seen as the destruction of the country’s judicial independence. Over 30 judges and prosecutors have reportedly fled the country due to fears of being arrested and prosecuted by the government.

The U.S. has also accused Guatemala’s new special prosecutor against impunity of corruption and working with Giammattei to either silence opposition or obstruct investigations of corruption.