Journalism is essential to a functioning democracy; it provides citizens with the information they need to make informed choices in government.
When the press is censored, freedom of expression fails and residents of the country suffer.
This is the case across areas of Central America — especially in Guatemala.
Guatemalan Journalist José Rubén Zamora founded the muckraking newspaper elPeriódico [sic] in 1996.
The paper was forced to shut down in May after Zamora’s 2022 arrest for charges of corruption and money laundering.
A three-judge panel sentenced him June 14 to six years in prison. He plans to appeal.
Human rights and free speech advocates denounced his arrest and conviction. They say the country is experiencing a reversal of democracy.
Journalist María Martin is based in Central America and has reported on turmoil in the region for over two decades.
Martin — founder of the public radio program Latino USA — produced and hosted SOS Central America, an in-depth podcast on the crisis of democracy and human rights in Central America.
"[ElPeriódico] played such a vital role in shedding light on the malfeasance of officials,” she said. “It did what journalism is supposed to do, and that is to be that watchdog of those powers.”
Martin said she was first inspired to provide coverage of the region to shed light on a democratic crisis that is often reduced as a migrant crisis.
“It’s a crisis that we often don't really understand. We hear about the migrants along the border, but often there is no context,” she said. “Why are so many people still leaving Central America, coming to the U.S.? “
Click here to contribute to Martin’s in-depth coverage of Central America and to listen to the pilot episode of SOS Central America.
