Miami (May 21, 2026) - The Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), together with other international and regional press freedom organizations, sent a letter to Guatemala’s new Attorney General, Gabriel García Luna, requesting an immediate shift in policy to end the persecution and criminalization of journalists, dismiss and archive arbitrary cases, guarantee press freedom, and restore the rights of affected media workers.
The signatory organizations also urge the Public Ministry to ensure safe conditions for the return of exiled journalists and to restore institutional credibility. They further emphasize that there can be no press freedom under threats, and that the State must guarantee a safe environment for journalism in line with international standards.
The full text of the document is as follows:
"Mr. Gabriel García Luna
Attorney General
Public Prosecutor’s Office of Guatemala
Mr. Attorney General:
We extend our sincere congratulations on your appointment as Attorney General of Guatemala. We wish you every success in your tenure and in the fulfillment of your responsibilities at the head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The undersigned organizations express our deep concern over the deterioration of press freedom and the use of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, over the past eight years, as a tool of criminalization to persecute, intimidate, and silence journalists, independent media outlets, and critical voices that have exposed corruption and abuses of power in Guatemala.
National and international bodies, including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, the Guatemalan Journalists Association (APG), and organizations focused on promoting press freedom and human rights, have documented a sustained pattern of judicial persecution, harassment, threats, surveillance, smear campaigns, forced exile, and arbitrary detentions against journalists.
The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression has repeatedly warned that the misuse of criminal law and justice institutions to punish critical expression constitutes a serious violation of freedom of expression and creates a chilling effect incompatible with a democratic society. Likewise, the IACHR has noted that the forced exile of journalists is one of the most alarming indicators of democratic deterioration in the Americas and a direct consequence of state persecution and the lack of guarantees for the free exercise of journalism.
The case of journalist Jose Rubén Zamora has become the most visible symbol of this policy of persecution. His arbitrary imprisonment, the conditions of his detention, and the spurious legal proceedings brought against him have been widely denounced by international organizations as retaliation for his journalistic work and investigations into corruption.
The Guatemalan Journalists Association (APG) has documented hundreds of attacks and restrictions against journalists in recent years, including judicial harassment, intimidation, criminalization, and attacks on the practice of journalism. According to public reports cited by international organizations, at least over 20 Guatemalan journalists were forced into exile between 2022 and 2023 as a result of threats, judicial persecution, and a well-founded fear of reprisals.
This situation is compounded by the persistence of attacks and killings of journalists under conditions of high impunity. The lack of diligent investigations and effective sanctions has contributed to the consolidation of a climate of fear and self-censorship incompatible with democratic standards and Guatemala’s international obligations.
The continuation of these practices has weakened the rule of law, eroded public trust in institutions, and sent a message of fear to those engaged in independent journalism.
At the beginning of a new stage within the Public Prosecutor’s Office, we respectfully request that your administration marks a clear, verifiable, and immediate change through the following actions:
1. Immediately end the use of criminal law and prosecutorial offices as mechanisms of political persecution and criminalization against journalists and independent media.
2. Dismiss and close all spurious, arbitrary, or unfounded cases brought against journalists and communicators in relation to their reporting.
3. Fully guarantee freedom of the press and expression as enshrined in the Political Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala and in international human rights treaties ratified by the State.
4. Fully restore the rights and freedom of journalists who have been arbitrarily detained or who continue to face disproportionate judicial measures resulting from criminalization processes.
5. Create real conditions and security guarantees for journalists and communicators forced into exile to return to Guatemala without fear of reprisals, arbitrary detention, or judicial persecution.
6. Strengthen the institutional capacity of the Prosecutor’s Office for Crimes Against Journalists so that the Public Prosecutor’s Office investigates—in an independent, impartial, and effective manner—threats, attacks, and crimes committed against journalists, ensuring justice and accountability for both material and intellectual perpetrators.
7. Rebuild the independence and credibility of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, ensuring that no prosecutorial office is ever again used to protect political interests or corruption networks.
Press freedom cannot exist under threat, fear, or persecution. Guatemala needs institutions that protect the public’s right to inform and be informed, not structures used to punish independent journalism.
The IACHR and its Special Rapporteur have emphasized that the State has the obligation not only to refrain from persecuting journalists but also to create real conditions for the safe and independent practice of journalism, prevent stigmatization from public authorities, and fight impunity for crimes against the press. The restoration of these guarantees is essential for democratic reconstruction and the strengthening of the rule of law in Guatemala.
We trust that this new administration of the Public Prosecutor’s Office will assume the historic responsibility of putting an end to years of criminalization and restoring fundamental democratic guarantees for the free exercise of journalism. Additionally, the undersigned remain active in support of rule of law in Guatemala and we offer to maintain an open channel of communication with your office to support in these tasks.
Sincerely,
Committee to Protect Journalists
ARTICLE 19 Mexico and Central America
Inter American Press Association (IAPA)
Protection International Mesoamerica
Central American Journalists Network
Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
Fundamedios
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)"
The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.