TFA Statement on the imprisonment of journalist Ruben Zamora
TFA Statement on the imprisonment of journalist Jose Ruben Zamora
TASK FORCE ON THE AMERICAS condemns the Guatemalan government’s arrest of anti-corruption journalist Jose Ruben Zamora. As the publisher of the newspaper el Periodoco, Zamora’s arrest has alarmed people around the world about the deteriorating human rights situation and increased repression and censorship in Guatemala.
Rights Action reports from Guatemala, “Using the law as a weapon of repression, the corrupt, pro-global capitalist regime in Guatemala arrested Ruben Zamora, the latest defender of democracy and rule of law, human rights and justice, land and the environment to be ‘criminalized’.
“The U.S., Canada, IMF, World Bank and transnational companies and banks maintain ‘business-as-usual’ economic, political and military relations with the “democracy ally” gov’t of Guatemala.”
The New York Times has written: “Mr. Zamora’s arrest is the latest move by Guatemalan authorities to stifle political dissent and crush attempts to expose graft in the government of President Alejandro Giammattei ….” The Times also reported the arrest of an assistant prosecutor and the firing of nine prosecutors who were looking into graft and corruption charges against the Guatemalan government and its president.
Task Force on the Americas calls for the immediate release of journalist and human rights defender Ruben Zamora, as well as the immediate release of assistant prosecutor Samari Carolina Gómez Díaz, and the reinstatement of prosecutors who were fired for trying to do their job.
We express our solidarity with the people of Guatemala who are struggling for a just and equitable society. We will continue to closely monitor developments in the coming days and weeks.
TFA Board of Directors / 2 August 2022
References:
https://mailchi.mp/
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/