GUATEMALA City (AP) — A distinguished Guatemalan newspaper editor who has overseen investigations into corruption has been arrested, prompting denunciations Saturday by politicians, anticorruption activists and civic groups.
Prosecution agents arrested José Ruben Zamora Marroquín at his residence on Friday night, looking his dwelling, seizing telephones and accusing him of cash laundering. Zamora Marroquín is a prize-successful journalist who heads the newspaper El Periodico.
“This is an orchestrated strategy, wherever the goal now is not to go after those people who are corrupt, but somewhat opponents,” reported human rights activist Eleonora Muralles. “The system is to coopt the full method and have judges — with really serious doubts about their impartiality — place with each other cases and evidence versus opponents.”
Journalists protested Saturday outdoors a courthouse in which the scenario is remaining read.
U.S. Congressman James P. McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, wrote that he was “deeply concerned” by the detention.
McGovern wrote in his Twitter account, “The judiciary is by now decimated, is the No cost Press up coming? Journalism is not a criminal offense!”
Zamora Marroquín has declared a hunger strike. Speaking in advance of a court hearing, he explained, “I haven’t eaten everything nor drunk any drinking