Guatemala: Free Press Under Attack
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Harassment, Limited Access to Information, Poor Investigations of Attacks
(New York) – The administration of President Alejandro Giammattei in Guatemala has targeted the media through bellicose rhetoric and false accusations throughout the president’s first year in office, Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said today. Investigations into threats, attacks, and two killings of journalists during this period have made little progress.
The government’s verbal attacks against journalists became more frequent and prominent after Covid-19 began to spread in Guatemala in March 2020, and the authorities have restricted access to information about the pandemic. The administration has also failed to ensure that investigators and prosecutors have the necessary resources to conduct prompt and effective investigations into attacks against journalists. The government should urgently stop harassing independent journa