Reveal revisits a story produced in collaboration with a Guatemalan journalist who is now in prison. José Rubén Zamora was jailed last summer after his newspaper, elPeriódico, published more than 100 stories about corruption within Guatemala’s government.
Corruption is a longstanding problem in Guatemala, and it’s intertwined with U.S. policy in Central America. At times, the U.S. has had a corrupting influence on Guatemalan politics; at others, it has supported transparency. This week’s show looks at the root causes of corruption and impunity in Guatemala and how they have prompted generations of Guatemalans to flee their country and migrate north.
Veteran radio journalist Maria Martin takes us to Huehuetenango, a province near Guatemala’s border with Mexico. For decades, residents have been migrating to the U.S. to help support families struggling with poverty. We then connect the migration outflow to U.S. policy during the Cold War and its support of brutal dictatorships in Guatemala that were plagued by corruption.
Then Reveal’s Anayansi Diaz-Cortes introduces us to a crusading prosecutor named Iván Velásquez. In the early 2000s, Velásquez was tasked with running an international anti-corruption commission in Guatemala, known by its Spanish acronym, CICIG. Its mandate was to root out corruption and improve the lives of Guatemalans so they wouldn’t feel compelled to leave their homes. Velásquez had a reputation for jailing presidents and paramilitaries, but met his match when he went after Jimmy Morales, a television comedian who was elected president in 2015. Morales found an ally in then-U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration helped Morales dismantle CICIG.
With CICIG gone, journalists were left to expose government corruption – journalists like Zamora, who was arrested last summer on trumped-up charges. Diaz-Cortes speaks with Zamora’s son about his father’s arrest and the state of journalism in Guatemala.
This is an update of an episode that originally aired in September 2020.
Support Reveal’s journalism at Revealnews.org/donatenow
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get the scoop on new episodes at Revealnews.org/newsletter
This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Reveal is brought you by progressive, progressive helps. You compare direct auto rates from a variety of companies, so you can find a great one, even if it's not with them quote today and progressive dot com to find a rate that works with your budget. Progressive casualty, insurance company in affiliates comparison rates not available in all states are situations from the sooner for investigating, reporting in p r eggs loose is reveal a male words today.
We're bringing new and important update to a story about the legacy of? U S, palace
in latin america and how the politics of the cold war connect to the immigration issue. The story takes us to guatemala when we first aired it in the fall of two thousand and twenty,
We also created a written version in spanish that was published in EL periodical
one of guatemala's most respected newspapers. Our partner at the paper has spent much of the past year in prison, now police yeah. What am I allowed twelve years and I think the way that Juliana, but at least
ah ha saturday, when someone, I prefer say who bands of more founded the paper and was its editor. L periodical is no for investigating government corruption.
And for years, Zamora had endured harassment and even kidnapping because of the papers reporting
The rest last july, on charges of money laundering and blackmail has been widely condemned, is politically motivated, graphically influence. Yes, I'm ethical speed. I soon the committee to protect journalists has called for the moors release and the case has even call the attention of the united nations secretary general
all over the world. More and more journalists are coming under attack for their reporting. More than three hundred and fifty were imprisoned in twain. Twenty two and the trend continues: russian afar
please have arrested in american journalist in charged him with espionage. Evan girl coverage of the wall street journal was detained by we'll pick up
story of our partners imprisonment later in the hour. But first, let's reconnect with our original story, which, like I said, relate
to immigration. At the. U S, mexico border present impasse
You promised a more humane immigration policy than the trump administrations, but since Biden took office, the conditions
At the border remain harsh behind me, you see hundreds of migrants waiting. Some people have told us. They ve been here for eight days trying to get across
it's the border and for most of the binding administration the flow of migrants has been.
Near record levels tonight a rush towards the southern border, as thousands of migrants make a desperate pushed to enter the EU s for decades. Guatemalans have been part of that flow of people risking ever
thing to come to the? U S! We wanted to understand why
having we begin.
remove mountain indigenous village in Guatemala, its recess outside a tiny five room schoolhouse on this late summer day, back in twenty thousand and eighteen children play in the dirt in grass outside the blue stucco building, some are dressed in sweatshirts others, which additional clothing, red and white shirts with embroidered collars
after my mother porter Maria martens here everywhere, you look in this village, you see american flags painted on the sides of houses and flying in front of cinder black homes. Those houses are built.
Money sent home from abroad. This has been going on for generations. What is the added? How many of you have family in the? U s maria asks
spring, I asked them
they, also wanted to go north to the? U s, these events, some data, their status,
it was most of them said yes, and I was struck by the reasons for wanting to go for gay. It wasn t live a better life or finding
I can dream yeah, he is the better back. Then it was, they said to pay their family steps
dead. These eight year olds are worrying
about their families, debt, its
or a maria heard, often in her reporting in guatemala, this small village in the municipality of Davos, santos, whereby the mango is really poor in this, mostly indigenous province, the poverty rate silver. Seventy percent people here have no opportunity to get ahead unless they have relatives in the states who can send the money and because of the star your situation, migration,
It has become almost a tradition, a rite of passage maria has been coming to these communities for decades living in guatemala.
For more than fifteen years. I've always felt call to cover central america, because it seems that, except when there are worse or earthquakes, there's little interest in what mama or the central american region. But when trump was elected, I knew that migration would become a big political story and that, despite its hard line
migration policies, people would continue to come north and I wanted to know how that would play out in a place like this community of Togo. Santos
I would have liked, but when it is to day the thought much that's where I met so electoral more she's around face my a woman who looks a little beaten down by life, and understandably so. I've travel to a village where she lives in a small house made of wood, metal, sheeting and dirt floors
sit on top of a hill site with no road access and no running water. Her husband, he'd, better who's here to make six dollars a day when he can get work, but the work is sporadic. She feels completely abandoned by the government. The way. The way you look, I that's just a power, the least who, even now, as the only
future that soya and her family c is in the? U s to day the thought much ice. Now, that's soilers
beaks in the my mom language through a translator. She tells me about a dark day back and twenty eighteen, her husband, he baritone had left the village to journey north to the u s he took their eight year old son franklin, justice, trumps, family separation policy was added.
Speak experience here in europe. We must at least say where's does raise the. She tells me that what they got to the? U s she found out that franklin have been separated from his father does and four months they had no idea what happened to him.
franklin what we do- and I did with this parents and october twenty eight twenty eighteen mass, the family is happy to be back
the other, but at the same time, so that it does so don't have enough money to feed their three children one meal a day every day. So for all the harding he'd backdoor says he didn't see any other choice when he took franklin to the. U s book in border areas,
about a month in it up. I mean why did I go? He says more barbarous because of poverty.
He was making a decision to support this family and in these
western highlands of what the mullah you'd better story is one shared by many
so maria. When we hear about these people fleeing to the? U s, the question that often gets ask is why why did they leave their countries? And why
Should it be the responsibility of the? U s to take them in what the answer to that question is rooted in a history that goes back to the nineteen fifties in nineteen. Fifty four, the cia under precedent, eisenhower ousted. What a mothers
stomach democratically elected precedent. I've been young what the mother of a young woman.
it is recommended sooner than we knew. What am I gonna do about technical than other public. This was during the country or the. U s claim that supporting military dictatorships prevented the spread of communism,
This will regimes at the? U S, government help put in power and funded with taxpayers money and that committed
massacres and genocide, and were responsible for the disappearance of an entire generation of what the mullins over two hundred thousand people. According to the? U win, the majority, indigenous maya,
It wasn't until nineteen ninety nine after what
While I was a peace that president bill Clinton travelled to the country and apologized
I will reaffirm america's commitment to shared
I, the dark events of the past.
Well, let's say the? U s had apologized, but the legacy of those violent conflict remained in the wake of those wars. Corrupt politicians not to different from military dictators, took power. They perpetuated a system where a handful of a lead, scott, much richer and
today what the melons we're stuck in a cycle of poverty. There was a moment in guatemala when people experience real hope and so possibility for change. That's right! It was a more
and when the united nations, the? U s, and what a mullah all came together in an effort to root out corruption and establish the rule of law in the country,
they promised that everyone, no matter how richer powerful, would face justice so that eventually people could live securely in a society where they could support their families. This effort was really unprecedented, but that dream was short lived, reveals audience ideas quarters looked into how bad dream fell apart,
and what that's men for guatemala ever since the store she found connects families like soilers
if some of the world's most powerful players it
revolves around an alleged quid pro quo between former president trump and of president of Guatemala, and who else is involved. Vladimir Putin and president Joe Biden,
Bunny elsie begins the story in south america. In march of twenty twenty, I flew table what that colombia to meet the man, they call the robber mother of latin america. His name is even velasquez and he brought down some of the most powerful people,
in what amala and I'm here to talk to him about it. When we meet at a best western in the heart of one of the fanciest neighborhoods in the city, when he steps out of his taxi, he stands out the
sunglasses pressure, good taste and shoes ass, we go,
the elevator and settle down for a long conversation. I mean they laugh. So let me back up a little bit in twenty thirteen. The last case was put in charge of this special united nations body called the international
commission against impunity, better known by spanish acronym, see, seek the you
and then the guatemalan government, with backing from the? U s set up the commission to root out corruption in guatemala. This was, after decades,
of civil war and military rule there, as head of the sea, seek the last case could investigate anyone. Even the president. I ask him in japan, suckers
if he had any idea what he was getting into when he took this job and really that you're not a lawyer, unless he doesn't then complete her gay misfit hour
tells me he had no idea how complex the situation would be, even though
done similar working colombia, where he'd investigated
hundred and thirty nine members of congress and brought on the president for his links to paramilitary groups
So when the? U and asked him to head the sea seek, he thought he would have been easier in debt or something
be an interesting experience. You have at the moment if we want to finish your mind, that is, hunt and he says without a doubt it was a very interesting experience.
Not long after velasquez started in twenty fourteen. What oh mamma was
the centre of an international migration crisis. Fifty thousand unaccompanied children arrived at the. U S, mexico border,
and most of them came from central america. So press
no bomber dispatch, Joe Biden to watermark city or Biden, announced the. U s was throwing at hand of money at sea
it was something he talked about that summer. Here's the deal jerusalem,
more. We can and should do in the united states to do root causes of this problem root causes
The obama administration believed that sea seek could help prevent those by going after corruption the alaska. His first target went all the way up to the top. He authorize wiretaps that lead to bribery fraud charges against. Then, president, although betters molina,
who still in prison today with better molina behind bars. What my lads hold new elections enter political newcomer, Jimmy, miraculous
morality, is best known for this weekly comedy shout wonder: we'll get a sea of italy headed by assistance.
I'm not a brook crackers prattle cannot in another get bedding guessing in almost every episode. He appears as a cloud but simple,
ak face, and the show opens with morality on a flying carpet. In the space of one minute, he makes fun of black people blind people
it's a crude joke about the female anatomy. This direct, bigoted appeal its would help to get him elected, voluble them
in case you. My phone authority, as you know, is implicit in the business of meeting. What mother cried
created Jimmy more alleys. They paid for him to play their part,
morality is a lot like donald trump they're, both very famous right wing populists
who had no experience in government before they won the election like chump morality.
MR drain, the swamp. In fact, his campaign,
his slogan was nicole, roped, her knee later on, neither corrupt nor a thief jumped on being goofy. I also believed that he could have good intentions but fiddle Freeth, I'm getting. I know I too was fooled when morality
takes office. He has the support of the united states at his inauguration and twenty sixteen vice president Joe Biden flies to water mala again by
and walked down the stairs of air force. Two weeks off his sunglasses in waves to the crown
president morality is there waiting to greet him on the tarmac later. The two
leaders meet at the intercontinental hotel
the radio
so little hard to hear but biting his joking that we spend so much time in central america. Maybe you should run for office in guatemala
right in and around sit in heavy arm chairs a few feet apart. Talking
the press cameras, flash want fighting, doesn't just
congratulate morales. He announces seven.
hundred and fifty million dollars in usa sue what the malla as salvador and hunter that money will go to the military to economic development and to seek to fight corruption. Just a week,
before obama and died and left office. Velasquez is photographed, holding an oversized check from the. U s: embassy for seven point: five million dollars when you can investigate justice,
The chief of citizens develop a civil conscience. They become aware of and respect the law. You dumb being did they more intolerance of corrupt sitting? Fear amongst the corrupt. It was a dream team. The last is you
when office president jimmy morality and the watermelon supreme court pulling together with u s backing. The last has told me that, for the first time,
watermelon people were sing, the powerful being held accountable and then
I Donald John trump do so
Oddly swear that I will faithfully donald trump takes office.
By then things have begun to unravel between velasquez and it starts with breakfast five hundred breakfast action
The last guess was investigating a case of fraud, so many
charge the government eleven thousand dollars for breakfast that we're
We're served so
ask as reaches out to miraculous vision- and I told the president,
Did you hear about this investigation of bodies? You son's name appeared. It seemed he has participated in the fraud. They were the opposing topsy so evil. I think you son should go before
judge, several members of malice his family were implicated. It wasn't
a lot of money, but the last guy says that's not. The point emerged
most conall she'll simple base, what we have
No and seen always on these countries. That justice does not reach the powerful look into this vienna,
it is with serious. Now you stop what is in nobody's above the law, the last it
urges morality to go on national television and condemn corruption in his own family, and rather studs is both your response.
Billina, maintain withdrawing who, with his wife by his side,
Rallies tells the country that they support their family and that he also believes
justice, should run its course. Pamela elephant people feel every small farmers need, but I've been thinking with your wife, but that speech it's not enough. For a last chance,
once the president's family members to stand before a judge and the breakfast
While they were part of a man
larger investigation. In fact, the last
because they contain peach. Morale is for a campaign, finance violations, morale
this was not okay with that horrible order. What their mother, the gallery money for startled me summarize passivity on
twitter that ends up on national television. Where he denounces velasquez, she returned
it is not good at all. Winder heels demand.
They leave guatemala effective, immediate, but velasquez
refuses to leave the country and won't dishpan. Seek your group. I think that in this situation, so goddamn moscow, the masks came off.
Yellow hen data can wait, everyone was who they really were
the people of guatemala take to the streets to support velasquez, but then the water
congress gets inbound lama.
declare. Morale is immune from prosecution, see,
he is allowed to keep going with its other anti corruption work, but morale
is off limits.
Some real summer, ask velasquez they're kind of at a stalemate, but there's
Another campaign happening outside of Guatemala, one that will eventually bring down velasquez after the brake on the agency takes us three thousand miles from guatemala to a coffee shop in san Francisco. There
she meets a foreign agent who wants to topple the last case we wanted to see, seek out your listening to reveal.
I may sound biased here, but I think our stories are pretty great and if you listening to this, I have a feeling that well, you might agree, but have you ever been left wondering even more reveals newsletter goes behind the scenes. Reporters describe how they first found out about these stories and the challenges they face, reporting
plus recommended reeds and more subscribe now reveal news, dot, org, slash newsletter.
from the centre for investigative reporting and p r ex. This is reveal analogy this week.
Bringing back a story about guatemala
decisions made here in the: u s affect the politics in people in that country we left off with crucial
hitting prosecutor yvonne velasquez standing his ground
Refusing to leave guatemala, despite pressure from the president former tee
the comedian Jimmy morales, reveal
any ideas. Cortez picks up the story here. Tracking down
One of the last case is most relentless. Opponents in the unlikely is of places were in a coffee shop in san francisco to meet a man whose part of this campaign to bring down velasquez it's just a few days before the pandemic closes everything and the places crowded since we're in the bay area. We start views
Our california, sun, cakes, son, cakes, with vague in cooking, have a bite you like it. We do. This is David landau and before we get to those,
cookies. Let me tell you how we ended up here.
While we were reporting the story we kept hearing about this international lobbying organisation called the association for the rule of law and centre
america. We have no idea who is behind this group. We have just one click. This document we uncovered filed under the foreign agents, registration act,
scrupled at the bottom is the name of the american represented David landau, and this is where the world get smaller.
It turns out. They may editor on this story, Erin glance he knows David. Yet you show me this document and I saw his name and I was like David landau with an address on the west side of san Francisco. I know David landau. I worked with him at a radio station twenty years ago, so errand arranges press to meet David in this coffee shop.
I decided to make it easy for you, because I knew I know you. I've ve learned I've known around for a long time, davidson independently wealthy white guy. He dresses like a beatnik and still takes pride in being the editor of the harvard crimson back in the early nineties seventies. He doesn't seem to have to do anything for money, so he spent his time on his hobby writing about latin america. So we ask him. What is role is in this. Guatemalan
being group I agreed to become you know the american, whatever it was, what it was. I am. I a director.
The president. I don't. I don't even remember what I am actually he's listed as the director on the document be mentioned. We wanted the c c.
Out. The activity was an effort at political persuasion between the government of guatemala and find a way of reaching the president, in other words, they weren't ticket donald trump and seek as for who his associates are. That was tough and take it out of him. Who are you helping? Who are the people?
I was helping. I am I am helping. The funders of
activity and then the people who are carrying it out, but it wouldn't really be responsible for me to say who they were so he's not going to tell us who's, providing the money and he doesn't have to because in america, if you're lobbying on behalf of a foreign interest, you have to tell the government that you're doing it, but you don't have to say where the money is coming from. This is like the unfavorable way to look at. This is money laundering right, because there are actors,
are hiring lobbyists and you are not those actors, but you are putting your name in it obscures the actual actors from the public view. No, it doesn't. I mean the the fact is.
That I I I happen to be the one with an american address post office box, whatever it was, I don't understand why David and independently wealthy dingo is so invested in what manner and what's more, where does this grudge against the sigcomm firms have meaning? For me, we spent two hours talking to David and he weaves this complicated story which
essentially boils down to the marquess, velasquez them and his gang.
Even now, in the twenty first century, David still sees communist everywhere. It goes back to this old idea that, by going after the rich and powerful in guatemala, c c is following a marxist agenda to redistribute the wealth. You sometimes hear the same sort of thing from conservative politicians in the: u s who consider tax reform that helps the poor,
socialism, but David claims outside it. He says alaska is a marxist because he acts like a dictator. Even lumps will ask as in with what he calls the children of fidel castro. David says cc showed its true colours and twenty eighty,
see, seek began to work with the russians, it began to work with Putin and you say,
This is a straight face. You realize hook to u s audience yeah, but this was proven. This was demonstrated. I should
say: there's no evidence that velasquez worked with worked with, putin are ever took money from him and even isn't even a marxist. They family called the bid coms who had fled basically fled from the ussr. Not I'm sorry! It's me in the twentieth century
russia. Ok, they will. They fled from russia, and the sea see took on the case of the big car family. The bid cops are a family of russian millionaires who, in one after them for embezzle meant so they fled to water, mala him by fake passports to get water mon citizenship. The last gasp had charges brought against them and the bid cops were thrown in prison. This is where David is trying to draw that putin. The last as connection.
It all sounds like a fringy conspiracy theory, but David's ideas soon make their way into the mainstream. First, the wall street journal publishes a series of column supporting them.
the cards and before you know it. That is why we have
this hearing, this lobby
is are talking about it in the halls of congress and items in April, two thousand and eighteen republican congressman chris smith question why velasquez prosecuted the big cops these sentences,
were far harsher than those given the guatemalan officials who perpetrated the sale of passports there
Harsh sentences given to rapists enter murderers. Lawmakers also suggested velasquez was working with putin
This is the same thing. David landau told us. The last has turned down an invitation to testify this hearing.
When we were in colombia, we asked him if he had any connections to russia.
Are you a russian agent was thirty seconds that have led me to put the me she killer going to school to issue here
help me he's never been to russia nothin,
who nevertheless young dinning gonna throw lisa gone, need good.
he has no relationship with anyone from russia and c c, has never received a single cent from anyone in russia and no one has provided any evidence of that,
cherry velasquez, says. The reason they wanted him out has nothing to do with russia or marxism it has to do with who has power watermelon, and
keep it bears, come on. Another duets had gathered only rather like every year. I tell the last guess it all seems like a cold war novel she delegated to free up. Yes, he said, but the bogus yoga
but one written by, gabriele, garcia, marquez Velasquez was expire
in seeing the solitude of his office, he was losing his political allies in the white house.
While Jimmy miraculous was becoming closer to president trump. They even attended the national prayer breakfast in washing
together presented Jimmy morelli steals pressing in trouble. I understand what you're going through it all comprehend
you are being persecuted by rubber military. The states I am being persecuted by a bomb be less kissing within my love. I know how much you ve suffered through all this vile ask, as was in
his old ally. Joe Biden was gone. I win Nicky hayley trumps ambassador to the EU
the nations paid want imala visit.
She told you will ask velasquez to tone it down. Stop bragging that you're more
popular than the government and get rid of those. I love see, seek bumper stickers. One door
They mahabharata between ambassador Nicky Hayley visits. Guatemala is an explicit show of support from rallies.
She has a series of complaints for me. Stop doing press conferences, sonata money. That is what is
spected of way roulette seasick within days of returning to washington. Mickey Hayley was talking about what they my life,
again, he leaves speaking at the apec convention, the largest
pro israel lobby from had recently announced that the? U s was moving its embassy to Jerusalem, a city both palestinians and israelis, claim at their cap
Furthermore, they even join moving their new worlds.
Their Jimmy morales. He got a standing ovation when I first got them or yours windy. We start to see a budding bromides between trump and morale ass. The last case believes the lobbyists how bring them together by telling miraculous move the embassy
and trump will help you out and what did morale is fun and exchange. What morrell is really one that can norcold in one of us is sick, was to win seasick,
If that was not possible, he wanted to make sure that at least I was no longer running it. So, what's going on here, we started with David land,
he and his lobbyists group wanted see, seek out. He had a theory that the last, as was working with ladder, mere put a wall street journal columnist and members of congress piled on the last gases on the out with the: u s,
morality, is getting cozier would trouble about six months after breakfast pledge to move the embassy to Jerusalem. Alaska turns on
tv when a service
women who, at the moment and very depressed
surrounding humor fifty military officers begging him up ass. He announced us his ignore. Luckily, cecy will not continue
james with money there till arrears summoned to the covered. The parking further decision
The machine guns manned and pointed star, maybe that he felt a threat
with the military, the? U S, military had provided the chiefs to fight drug trafficking. It's a tense situation, well ask as picks up the
john. I then our local, nearly behold, the soldier news.
The eu is ambassador, but the united states won't help and
This shook watermelon society to the bone. It was a dark reminder of the civil war and military.
what the malays, who buy casual, free or particularly your elite, that you know
Repression in me said he got. What am I
a country that for decades suffered merciless repression by military dictatorship,
entire generation of intellectuals killed for serial? There was a genocide, but that on meal is indeed disappointed to thought to those control election.
no you're, not really daddy's thousands of indigenous people murdered, disappeared, tortured all coming
by a government rules by the military, your soul,
the term presents literally behind the president. It was a reminder specially for those over forty years old to sell things used to be velasquez, tries to stick it out, but when he leaves the country for you at meetings in new york a few days later, morality
issues, another public statement, then the bay declare that I will not be allowed back into what a mother can. Normally when I hadn't rough, I will not be living in spite of this. He boards is claimed to what the man a city and he's
deported my personal belongings stating what a mother, but were leadership to me shipped me that colombia, his home country, alas,
gets says. Morality also did something else for president trump angel.
I twenty nineteen trump announces the so called safe third country agreements with morality.
We signed agreements with guatemala that have been tremendous in terms of really both countries, but our country with respect to
illegals coming into our country under this deal, migrants from other central american,
countries like honduras and El Salvador could not apply for asylum in the EU s. Instead, they had to ask for asylum in what they matter: water, moleskin, terrific weeks after Joe Biden was
calculated as president his administration rescinded this policy, but it was a staple of trumps immigration plan
and one month before the steel was announced, the trump administration to care of one and morality is biggest headaches. It cut off you s, funding to see. Seek. I ask the last guys. Was this a quid pro quo?
she she yoga? Yes, yes, it said transsexual were both parties to win something which still a balloon: the shoulders there's that better sexual she on carriers are policy content.
You help us by ending this persecution unleashed by the seasick, and we will help you
You shut down seasick by cutting the funds years of wifi in the local unit, and that is exactly what happened.
The last as doesn't have documentation to back up his claim. We did talk to a senior state department. Official who told us he doesn't have evidence of a direct quid pro quo either, but he said see see was a bargaining chip and both sides got what they wanted
morality, wondered cecy gone and the trump administration wanted central americans to stay in central america. The trump administration would respond to our questions, but trump has said he cut funding to see see because it hadn't done anything for the. U s. We also tried to reach jimmy miraculous. I got cell phone numbers for his son and his brother. You know the breakfast people
I gave them a club, I look for the american in senior someone more or less mcgowan rouses brothers Sammy picked up. We talked for twenty minutes, but he didn't agreed to be interviewed on air. He told me that sea sieg was corrupt and velasquez was only interested in publicity. He's
the swat team. To my home. He made a scandal over eleven thousand dollars. Semi told me after velasquez was kicked out of guatemala. Sammy was acquitted.
The last guest try to run c c from colombia at the end of,
who s money made that impossible. When we come back, corruption makes it come back in guatemala. You listening to reveal,
Hello listener. My name is a meaney, and I am a producer here at reveal
It is a non profit news organization and we depend on support from our listeners. Listeners like you,
today at reveal news, dot, org, slash, Donnie. It helps fund the stories that we tell and helps me feed my cab. So thank you.
from the centre for investigative reporting in p r ex this is reveal a mallet. The anti corruption work of the international commission against impunity lasted a dozen years by twenty nineteen. U s, funding for the seasick was gone and the commissioner was banned from guatemala not long after there were elections and the new president took office
january, twenty twond fellas only seat belts in europe are a hundred and twenty five g m. I t represents a throwback and guatemala politics with deep ties to form a military officials
at one time he oversaw the prison system and ceasing came out
him for illegally killing inmates once he was president he crackdown on judges and prosecutors involving corruption. Cases about thirty ended up leaving the country.
The sea sick gone, it was up to the press to investigate the new administration and hold officials to account some of the heart is hitting reporting came from EL periodical, one of the country's major newspapers and our partner. For this episode, my father, you ve, probably a hundred and forty four investigations on corruption in the administration
On the contrary, I might be doing he's ferris one hundred and forty four weeks in power and that's what brings us to or conversation today. That's jose Zamora, whose father founded the newspaper and they conversation is referring to was with reveals ani on cd as quotas, but takes it from here
his father, whose also named jose founded a they go in ninety ninety six, since the beginning, the paper folk
on government corruption. My brother, he shouted
been doing journalism for at least thirty years, all those years have presented their challenges because, speaking through to power, it's always been difficult. He
and his team have an incredible track record of investigating some of the most important.
worries about corruption in guatemala. Some of them have led to directing
you shall not baronet members, people congress, including the president, and vice president,
where later imprison doing this kind of reporting create senate
and over the years courses
father was targeted by powerful people who wanted
silence him in two thousand and three, a group of armed men held the entire family hostage at their home. They
made us up hands and feet ass. We were lying on the floor, they just told those we are here, because people
and the higher, even though they were not very upset with you, and I just want you to stop polishing after that.
Jose decided to move to miami, he still lives there. With his wife into kid
last summer in July hysteria
wasn't what the guatemala spending part of their summer vacation with his parents had just arrived dogma.
So I e, I told them they were happy. They were playing an here
It also telling me that they were having a great time enjoying his grandchildren and then said
ally. In the background,
my mother running forward, my father in she was
screaming
I come in, they are on the roof they are coming to the house. My father just told me. I have to hang up their faces
I did as I pulled my wife and I don't care people aren't communing with the children in the closet, hide your cell phones and computers em. If you can take all the pictures you can, as they are coming in
send them. They remain in the house. They wanted to take
my children, my wife out of the room where they worrying that she told him that both are
children in errand, where, u s, citizens.
The armed men laughed horses, wife and kids alone, but they arrested his father, handcuffed him and took him away he's
that most of the past year awaiting trial in a prison cell
What are the charges very briefly just to get a sense of money laundering, insurance problem, then blackmail and wouldn't
just for a? U S, ideas!
like nail, this has been something then envy administration has told that my father,
in an ill betty, equal, less people for money in exchange for not polishing stories about them. If that were the case,
You would be lillian enslave. Let me ask you something has taken.
Tell me just why? Do you think there are rusting him when they
arrested my father. I really think the government had three objectives. One was due to punish my father directly before doing journalism. They don't like him. They don't like their corruption being made public. Second, they wanted a all equal to shut down and fell. They wanted to send away
the clear message to all journalists in guatemala: none in what am I doing journalism, except when any view investigate and polish anything.
About the government. They can come after you, the tree very well like for our family, but it's not only seen they are persecuting so many other people right,
According to the journalists association of what my law there were more
Three hundred and eighty attacks on journalists between twenty twenty and twenty twenty, two, the charges against who says father have been widely condemned by human rights and press freedom groups as unsubstantiated and politically motivated. What are you fine? No worse, if god,
it is terrible for what am I in for that country. My father been in prison. One less newspaper in the country needs more darkness, more corruption, less
mention for watermelons
who says, father was arrested, hosting
try to run a video, they call from miami, but it became too much the rope.
where is back in what manner felt they could no longer do their job safely. Video they cost
publishing in may.
who said tells me: the crackdown on journalism is not just a loss for democracy in guatemala. It affects the. U s too, in some way to their story
Then we collaborated on the main concern for the: u s is migration and sometimes the? U s
the other way on issues about democracy, freedom of the press and corruption. If countries out on their more there are helping.
They all migration when they don't realize that the root causes of migration is corruption, and I think they see there
report. Then, if you really want to and migration, you should make sure that governments, both of them or their stopping corrupt and create policies for
education, gwen hunger to create opportunities and dimes to ensure that people what watermelons stay in their countries and are able to succeed,
there. Nobody really wants to leave their country and the main factor in making them leave miss corrupt governments.
Since his father's arrests last summer. Jose has visited him in prison several times, but last month, when his dad's case
went to court procedure, was not able to travel to what they mila. He had to watch a live stream
The trial from miami well debate was very tense. The entire last,
seven months where building up to that moment, I was trying to follow that path.
Says online in an stream and on twitter. I also sat through the two hours of the verdict for such a high stakes.
case. The scene is surprisingly mundane. A room with cinder block
was painted brown and why a tangle of audio cables hanging
The death of one of the theme in the nato jose
fathers sitting next to the co defendants and her verde comes first
One of the key participants in my father's case who suffer mirth prosecutor, who, just like my father, had been hostage for eleven months. Yet thirty day she was absorbed
in free her name is fair somebody garments. So that was the real.
a great moment of justice
but they moving also seen hair received the news sitting. Next to my father, s will stop. They know everything my father, you could see in his face tat. He was also very happy and moon or her
Then she was going to be free, so that was like an incredible moment. Lets you just now and then the case they try to bring again. My father started to crumble, down some more american. They dropped two of the charges. You couldn't
the prosecution, even if they were all very angry and upset and frustrating similar metal
and then they moved into their final part, though they know he was convicted in the prosecutor's office while requesting a forty year sentence, which was also accessible in, like a great example of how DC,
political persecution in the end, who says that his sentence to six years,
For the money laundering charge
he'll, be in his seventies when he gets out still the fact that prosecutors,
didn't get everything they wanted
gives his son a sense of validation. It was bittersweet because he was data together
competition, but at the same time, knowing then you could read,
you see how the same repressive state a started to lose traction rain, and you see how things I'd like bending forward justice.
this is good news for their just. Are you been kid say there is hope.
And eventually he will be absorbed in free, and we are one step closer who said
tells me that, along with his father's legal team, the family has begun the process to appeal his conviction. That story was from reveals ani on serbia's courtiers was also the we produce
for this we show given Sullivan talk. You telling me this an airing glance where the editors to learn more about the case of holes
a rubens moura and l periodical listen to the podcast esa west, central america whispered.
Whose by reporting partner maria Martin and his
go on youtube and letting o rebels radio. Thanks to professor Joe marie bird of george mason university,
voice. Acta will leave a guard Nicky fracas, our fact: checker victoria baronet
is our general council. Our production managers manages the wonder, twins, zoo, lemme, cobb and stephen rascal score and sound.
By the dynamic, do o j breezy, Mr Jim Briggs, and fernando my man, you're Aruba. They help this week from clear scene of mom
Theo is robert Roosevelt r c, o ozma, reaffirming our interim executive producers of bread,
in turkey, still needed a fee music by colorado. Lightning, support for
wheels provided by the reva and David Logan foundation, the ford foundation, the john D and catherine t macarthur foundation, the Jonathan Logan family foundation, the robert wood johnson foundation, the park foundation and the hellman foundation reveal is a co production of the center for investigative reporting and p r x, amount, listen and remember. There is always more to the story
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Transcript generated on 2023-07-28.