Guatemalan journalist released from prison fears for the future and being targeted for his work

GUATEMALA CITY -- When Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora returned to his location aft much than 2 years successful situation without a conviction, he recovered it empty. He said it smelled of abandonment aft his family fled nan state fearing they would look his aforesaid fate.

Today, one week aft his release, he discussed his ain uncertain early successful an question and reply Monday pinch The Associated Press nether nan protector of efforts to support him down bars and his interest for different journalists that do nan benignant of investigative activity he did.

Not only person Guatemalan journalists, including 8 from nan outlet El Periódico that he founded, been forced into exile nether threat of prosecution, but those who stay wrestle pinch nan fearfulness that if they analyse “they tin extremity up successful jail,” Zamora said.

Thrust into nan spotlight, nan 68-year-old journalist is shy, not keen to beryllium nan target of news.

He said he tin still consciousness nan aftermath of imprisonment successful his bones, and besides successful his day-to-day life aft backing his ineligible defense forced him to waste his belongings, only skating by done support from his children.

“Frankly, nan emotion of not having immoderate money, that is mine, is analyzable and I don’t person nan intends to get around,” he said.

The question and reply comes aft a agelong travel for Zamora, who has spent nan past 3 decades moving arsenic a journalist. Twenty 4 of those years were arsenic president of El Periódico, nan news statement he founded to analyse corruption successful Guatemala.

It’s a vulnerable taxable to analyse successful a state for illustration Guatemala, wherever nan Attorney General's Office raided electoral facilities, seized and opened ballot boxes and targeted nan Seed Movement statement of now President Bernardo Arévalo successful an effort to support him from taking office.

To this day, Zamora believes it was his paper's investigative activity that led him to beryllium targeted by prosecutors. In particular, it was his pointed disapproval of former President Alejandro Giammattei and his ally, existent Attorney General Consuelo Porras, who was sanctioned by nan United States for allegedly obstructing corruption investigations.

Porras' agents raided Zamora's location successful July 2022 and arrested him, accusing him of money laundering aft he asked a friend to deposit $38,000 that Zamora said was a aid to his news organization.

Zamora said he did not put nan money successful nan slope himself because nan personification who made nan aid feared being retaliated against for supporting nan media outlet. He was initially convicted and sentenced to six years, a ruling that was annulled owed to procedural failures.

He was later accused of falsifying documents and faced a 2nd proceedings for allegedly lying successful nan first lawsuit against him.

In precocious October, he was yet group free, aft a judge cited that 2 years of pre-trial detention violated nationalist and world quality authorities law.

Upon his release, 1 of his first visitors was President Arévalo.

“I explained to him that successful Guatemala location person ne'er been institutions dedicated to power aliases rigorous oversight," Zamora said. “That is why nan property is truthful important: location is nary prosecution aliases reward for nan corrupt, alternatively location are walls of impunity.”

Zamora said he was happy to yet speak to his family, but it was clear he still lives pinch nan fallout of his 2 years successful jailhouse and a heavy consciousness of uncertainty complete what comes next.

Upon his arrest, his newspaper El Periódico disappeared. Eight of its journalists and columnists unrecorded successful exile for illustration his family for publishing articles connected nan maltreatment of powerfulness of judges and prosecutors – including astir his case.

Since Porras remains successful her position, he worries that he could erstwhile again beryllium thrown successful jail.

He said he’s been near without a job, and worries astir friends, family and moreover group who he speaks to astatine nan prosecutor's agency erstwhile he goes for his required regular check-ins.

“I interest astir group greeting me, because they whitethorn look immoderate consequences,” he said.

The only point that remains of his aged life are piles of aged copies of his newspaper successful his home's garage.

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