Central America
Guatemalan court decides Wednesday whether to convict journalist José Rubén Zamora
June 14 |
A Guatemalan court will decide this Wednesday whether to sentence journalist José Rubén Zamora, nationally and internationally recognized for his investigations on corruption and a strong critic of the government of President Alejandro Giammattei, accused of money laundering, extortion and influence peddling.
The sentence comes after several organizations denounced an escalation of authoritarianism in the country that includes the persecution of journalists and judicial officials and the exclusion of candidates who are not part of the traditional political forces.
The 66 year-old journalist has said he is innocent of the prosecution’s accusations and was tried without the court allowing evidence to be presented in his favor. Cinthia Monterroso is the prosecutor accusing him.
Zamora was director of El Periódico, a newspaper that closed its doors on May 15 under political and financial pressures, in which he exposed the accusations against Monterroso for abuse of power for allegedly using his position to investigate the unfaithful husband of a friend, among other allegations.
Monterroso asked the court that Zamora be sentenced to 40 years in prison for allegedly laundering bribe money and influence peddling and asked for aggravated sentences for “contempt for authority” for the journalist’s publications about the Attorney General, Consuelo Porras, and the head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Impunity, Rafael Curruchiche, both sanctioned by the US government for hindering the anti-corruption fight and undermining democracy in the country.
According to the prosecutor, Zamora asked his friend Ronald García Navarijo, a former banker accused of corruption, to deposit more than $30,000 in cash in a bank. Instead of doing so, he denounced Zamora.
Zamora’s defense claims that the money was the proceeds of a donation and that the journalist did not deposit it in an account of his own to avoid it becoming known who the donor was due to government pressure on El Periódico.
Meanwhile, Zamora’s family has said that what triggered the journalist’s imprisonment was the publication of a case known as “The Russian Plot”, according to which President Giammattei allegedly received bribes from Russian businessmen in exchange for benefits in mega-project concessions.
National and international press and human rights organizations have pointed out that the case against Zamora is a criminalization of journalism in Guatemala and have requested his release.
Although the prosecutor’s office has said that there is no persecution against the press, it asked Judge Jimi Bremer to authorize investigations against nine journalists from El Periódico for their publications about judges and prosecutors who had allegedly failed in the process against Zamora.
The prosecutor’s office has also charged Zamora in two other cases, one of them for falsification of documents for allegedly having incorrectly signed immigration tickets when leaving or entering the country.
Judge Bremer himself, at the request of the prosecutor’s office headed by Monterroso, is the one who has ordered the initiation of this investigation.
Zamora has received awards such as the Maria Moors Cabot Award from Columbia University, the International Press Freedom Award and the World Press Freedom Hero Award from the International Press Institute.
Central America
Trump Pardons Former Honduran President Hernández and Warns of Aid Cuts Ahead of Election
On Friday, President Donald Trump granted a pardon to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández — who was convicted on drug trafficking charges — and threatened to cut U.S. aid to the Central American nation if his preferred candidate loses Sunday’s presidential election.
Trump announced the pardon for Hernández, who is currently serving a 45-year prison sentence in the United States, through a post on social media.
In the same message, the former U.S. president voiced his support for Nasry Asfura, the candidate representing Hernández’s right-wing party in the Honduran elections.
“If he doesn’t win, the United States will not waste any more money, because the wrong leader can only bring catastrophic results to a country, no matter which one it is,” Trump wrote on his platform Truth Social.
Asfura, a 67-year-old construction magnate and former mayor of Honduras’s capital, is competing in a tight race against attorney Rixi Moncada of the ruling leftist Libre party and television host Salvador Nasralla of the right-leaning Liberal Party.
Central America
Washington calls for oversight as Honduras faces allegations of electoral interference
The United States government urged members of the Organization of American States (OAS) on Tuesday to support a transparent electoral process in Honduras, free from intimidation, interference, or fraud, just days before the general elections scheduled for this Sunday.
The call was made by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau during an extraordinary session of the OAS Permanent Council. The meeting was convened at the request of the United States in response to reports of irregularities marking the final stretch of Honduras’ electoral process. Landau expressed concern over the situation in the country, warning that Honduras is facing an institutional crisis. “I fear that Honduras faces an uncertain future. Therefore, I urge you to use your collective voice to warn Honduran officials about the consequences of interfering in the electoral process,” he stated.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed its support for electoral integrity and called on Hondurans to exercise their right to vote. “We hear you and we stand with you. Go out and vote on November 30 to be part of the democratic future of this country,” Landau said in Spanish during his remarks.
In response, Honduras’ ambassador to the OAS, Roberto Quesada, rejected the allegations and said there is no evidence of election-related crimes. “We are surprised that a Permanent Council meeting was called when no crime has been committed,” the diplomat said, dismissing reports of repression against journalists. “These narratives are invented because, as we know, fake news runs wild on the internet,” he added.
The session was also requested by Argentina, Ecuador, and Paraguay, whose governments expressed concern over the direction of the Honduran elections.
The process has been questioned due to the actions of the Public Ministry and the Armed Forces, both accused of interfering in matters under the exclusive authority of the National Electoral Council (CNE). The Attorney General’s Office has opened investigations into senior electoral officials, while the military has been accused of improperly intervening in civilian affairs.
Marlon Ochoa, a CNE councilor, maintained that despite the pressure, “general elections will be held despite the conspiracy that has been attempted against the electoral process,” and confirmed that all logistical materials are ready.
Colombia’s ambassador, Luis Vargas, announced that his country will provide “accompaniment” during the election, while Argentina’s representative, Carlos Bernardo, stressed that “there is no room for rigged electoral processes” in the region.
The main presidential contenders are Rixi Moncada of the Libre party, Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party, and Nasry Asfura of the National Party.
Central America
Panama reinforces security with new helicopters and Super Tucano Aircraft purchases
The government of Panama confirmed on Wednesday the purchase of two Bell 407 GXi helicopters for $10.49 million, aimed at strengthening the patrol and surveillance operations of the National Aeronaval Service (Senan), according to an official statement from the Presidency.
The funds used for the acquisition come from an insurance payout related to the crash of the AN-141 helicopter on September 10, 2023, an accident in which three Senan officers died. Panama received $13.4 million from the insurance claim, and the remaining balance will be allocated to three additional operational projects that have not yet been disclosed. “These two new aircraft are essential for Senan, as they will enable the protection of the country’s airspace, maritime domain, continental platform, as well as river and lake areas,” the statement emphasized. The government justified the purchase as necessary due to the deterioration of current aircraft and the reduced operational capacity of the security force.
In addition to the helicopters, President José Raúl Mulino’s administration announced the purchase of four A-29 Super Tucano aircraft from Brazilian manufacturer Embraer, valued at $76.3 million. These military-grade planes will bolster aerial and maritime surveillance and are intended to support operations against drug trafficking and organized crime.
According to Panamanian authorities, nearly 70% of homicides recorded in the country are linked to organized crime, especially gangs involved in drug trafficking. As Panama serves as a key transit point for narcotics moving from South America to the United States and Europe, strengthening its aerial capabilities forms part of its broader national security strategy.
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