Guatemalan reporter killed, mob burns police station
On Friday evening, a Guatemalan journalist named Evelio Lopez was fatally shot in the Mam Maya village of San Pedro Necta, western Guatemala. The local press association reported that Lopez, who was 34 years old, managed a Facebook news page called Huehue es Noticias. The motive behind his murder remains unclear at this time.
In response to this heinous act, a mob burned down the police station in San Pedro Necta and an alleged suspect's residence. Those responsible for the arson were reportedly angered by Lopez's death and demanded the arrest of a suspect. Guatemalan authorities confirmed these details.
Reporters Without Borders has long warned that Guatemala is a perilous environment for journalists. Last year, three news media workers were killed in the country. Guatemala, a poor nation in Central America that endured a brutal civil war from 1960 to 1996, is notorious for its violence. The Central American country recorded a murder rate of 16.1 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022, more than double the global average.
The Guatemalan government recently declared a state of emergency following a series of armed attacks that left 19 people dead.
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