Freedom of the Press and Expression in Guatemala

In May 2023, eight international press freedom and freedom of expression organizations conducted a fact-finding mission on the state of press freedom in Guatemala.

In recent years, Guatemala has suffered an alarming democratic setback, especially in the fight against corruption. A combination of political, economic, and military figures has reintroduced a system of impunity that threatens the democratic foundations of the country.

This phenomenon gained momentum during the administration of Jimmy Morales and has continued under the administration of Alejandro Giammattei. Instead of fostering an environment conducive to dialogue and respect for dissenting opinions, the government represses, censors, and silences critical voices. Journalists, communicators, human rights defenders, and judicial professionals are targeted and harassed when they oppose this power structure.

 Journalists and communicators are victims of harassment and criminalization in both the physical and digital spheres with the purpose of silencing their voices and restricting freedom of expression. The state has ceased guaranteeing a violence-free environment for the defense of human rights, which  has negatively impacted civil society. Likewise, power groups strongly influence different sectors, especially the justice system, affecting the impartiality of judicial decisions.

Given this worrying situation, several international organizations joined together to observe freedom of expression and press freedom in Guatemala in advance of the general election scheduled for June 25, 2023.

The objective has been to analyze and highlight the violence and obstacles faced by journalists and communicators in the country, especially in the pre-electoral context. This report features the findings of our mission, gives a voice to journalists in Guatemala, and offers appropriate recommendations.

In May 2023, the international mission participants interviewed 52 journalists and analysts living in Guatemala, as well as 15 others who are in exile.  In addition, 12 civil society organizations were contacted.

The international mission included:  Freedom House, ARTICLE 19 Office for Mexico and Central America, Free Press Unlimited (FPU), Protection International Mesoamerica, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Fundamedios and the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP), in alliance with the regional networks IFEX-ALC and Voces del Sur.