GUATEMALA

During the past six months, freedom of the press has gone through a transformation in Guatemala. From an atmosphere of harassment and confrontation that prevailed under the government of President Alfonso Portillo, we have moved into one of respect for journalists, although this does not mean tensions and dangers have completely disappeared. The change of government on February 14 has given momentum to the work of newspapers and they continue to denounce corruption in the government of Portillo, who, along with some of his collaborators, has fled the country while several former collaborators face criminal trials. The independent press was attacked and criticized during the election campaign, particularly by the then-ruling party, the FRG, and the so-called opposition PAN and UNE parties, whose presidential candidates joined the campaign to discredit newspapers accusing them of being at the service of the oligarchy and the official party. Among the most recent corruption activities reported by the press are the proven financing of these two parties’ election campaigns with state funds and, in some cases, with money stolen by a former official, Marco Tulio Abadío, the director of the tax agency (SAT), who fled to Miami after the virtual looting of the agency became public. Now the leaders of these political parties are accusing the newspapers of carrying out a witch hunt against former officials. The leaders refuse to acknowledge that these media outlets are reporting events that had been hidden under a cloak of impunity but now, with the new attorney general, are being criminally prosecuted. Abadío led a campaign of tax harassment against most of the newspapers, and even filed an unconstitutional lawsuit against elPeriódico. The newspaper eventually was cleared of charges violations. The case of journalist José Rubén Zamora, president of elPeriódico deserves to be highlighted. As has been reported, Zamora and his family fell victims to harassment last June. His residence was violently searched by an armed detachment that intimidated the journalist, his wife, his three children and two collaborators for three hours. Although the authorities never investigated the case, Zamora did so and, after three months of gathering information, identified all the assailants. The results of this private investigation were handed over to then-President Alfonso Portillo and to Attorney General Carlos de León. Since no action was taken by any of the officials, Zamora filed a criminal complaint against President Portillo on the grounds of failure to report and complicity, since all those involved in the attack against his residence were members of the State Security Forces. This public denunciation brought new harassment against Zamora that did not stop until the change of government. De León was removed from his position and is currently a fugitive. The drastic change that has taken place in the country allows us to assume there will be more respect for press freedom. President Oscar Berger said so publicly and he also reiterated his respect for the principles of the Declaration of Chapultepec, a document he had endorsed when he was a candidate. The coverage of the election campaign held between May and December was particularly dangerous for Guatemalan journalists. Several of them were threatened and subjected to other repressive actions. The most dramatic case took place in November when four journalists of Prensa Libre were detained for 72 hours by former members of the civil defense patrols who held them hostage to make economic demands on the government. Sergio Morales, the human rights representative, had to intervene to have the journalists released.