Guatemala: Police Detain El Periódico Staffer Flora Silva After Raiding Home On Money Laundering Charges
Location: GuatemalaDate: August 25, 2022
El Periódico newspaper staffer Flora Silva was detained earlier this week after the police raided her home in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation against the outlet’s president José Rubén Zamora. Flora was shifted to the hospital due to high blood pressure shortly after being taken into custody and transferred to Mariscal Zavala prison days later.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns Flora's arrest and calls for her immediate release. We stand in solidarity with Flora and on the Guatemalan authorities to desist from harassing El Periódico staff. The independent press must be free to report on matters of public interest even if the news is unfavorable to the incumbent government.
On August 19, Guatemalan police raided Flora's home and took her into custody on allegations of conspiring with Zamora, who is accused of money laundering. She was shifted to San Juan de Dios General Hospital later that same day, then discharged and transferred to prison on August 23, reported local news outlets.
On August 25, a judge directed that Flora be sent into preventive detention. Legal proceedings are due to resume on November 25, 2022.
According to a statement issued by the public prosecutor’s office, the Guatemalan authorities believe Flora “instructed her staff to prepare paperwork to support a money transaction,” in connection with the alleged money laundering scheme “led by Zamora".
Meanwhile, the newspaper has claimed that the arrest of its worker is "another example of the systematic attacks and judicial persecution without legal basis" targeting the outlet. "Silva is a professional with an impeccable career, the same one they try to stain arbitrarily, without any legal justification," stated the newspaper in its statement on the matter.
Zamora, who has been detained since July 29, 2022, on allegations of money laundering, blackmailing and influence peddling, has claimed that the case against him is in retaliation to the newspaper's reporting on the alleged corruption of President Alejandro Giammattei and Attorney General Consuelo Porras.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the legal proceedings against Flora Silva and extends support to her. We call on the authorities to stop harassing El Periódico staffers and allow the newspaper to report freely without fear of government reprisal. The CFWIJ stresses that journalism is not a crime. We call for Flora's immediate release.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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