Guatemalan journalists demand respect for freedom of expression

In the Human Rights Square of the capital, in front of the Supreme Court of Justice, the president of the entity, Byron Barrera, asked for the support of the entire community, from the main actors, especially the Church, to ring the bells on that date.

He urged citizens to join the campaign for freedom of expression on Journalist’s Day, honk their car horns at 6pm local time, and sound the sound of pans and pots in support of constitutional rights and guarantees.

“We believe this is one of the many measures we can contribute,” Barrera said, regarding the demand to end the persecution of the Public Prosecution (MP) and in favor of the freedom of those detained due to their transfer. Views.

The representative of the local press sector joined the protests organized by indigenous organizations, which were in front of the headquarters of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for 50 days to demand the resignation of its most prominent figure, Consuelo Porras.

The head of the APG Association considered: “We are in a very difficult situation, because it seeks to mock the popular will that was expressed at the ballot boxes.”

He explained that we do not support any party or candidate, but we believe that the votes of the population should be respected.

For his part, Vice President of the entity, Mario Resino, commented that if students, teachers and researchers are now criminalized for issuing statements, it will later be against citizens, he said.

Last Thursday, the MP presented a new investigation, and based on it, he carried out 31 raids, searches, and house searches, in addition to sending five people to prison.

In the so-called USAC Takeover: A Case of Political Looting, the vice-presidential-elect was implicated in protests at the nation’s premier higher education campus from May 19, 2022, to June 9, 2023.

Students, professors, legislators as well as Semela standard-bearers then demonstrated against what was described as a fraudulent vote that imposed Walter Mazariegos as rector of the university.

Various Guatemalan and international organizations have condemned the judicial maneuvers against members of the University of San Carlos of Guatemala (USAC), warning that the MP is once again endangering the government’s transition process.

OMR/Zinc