# Guatemala convicts investigative journalist Jose Ruben Zamora on money-laundering charge

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 2 sources.

Status: in effect, as of 2026-09-22.

A Guatemalan court convicted El Periodico founder Jose Ruben Zamora of money laundering and sentenced him to six years in prison, months after his newspaper, known for investigating government corruption, was forced to close; press-freedom groups said the case was connected to his investigative reporting rather than the financial charge alone.[1]

- Country: [Guatemala](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/gt) (RSF 2026 rank: 128th of 180)
- Where: GT
- Level of government: National
- Tactic: Detention and violence
- Stage: Eliminate (ladder: https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/detention_and_violence#stage-eliminate)
- Head of government at the time: [Alejandro Giammattei](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/alejandro-giammattei)
- Issue of the day: El Periodico had published more than 120 investigations into government corruption since January 2020 before its forced closure in May 2023, shortly before Zamora's conviction.
- Outcome: Ongoing. Zamora's case continued through appeals and changing custody arrangements; he remained in the criminal justice system.
- Era: The 2020s

## What happened

On June 14, 2023, a Guatemalan court convicted journalist Jose Ruben Zamora, founder of the investigative newspaper El Periodico, of laundering approximately $40,000, sentencing him to six years in prison and a fine of more than $38,000. Zamora had been arrested the previous July, and El Periodico, which had published more than 120 investigations into government corruption since January 2020, was forced to close in May 2023, with its leadership citing pressure on its advertisers and on its operations. Zamora said prosecutors had "treated us like criminals" and destroyed evidence; his son said the state had effectively kidnapped an innocent man. The Committee to Protect Journalists said the case sent a message that reporting on corruption could itself be treated as a crime, and the court separately found that Zamora's reporting had harmed the Guatemalan economy.[1][2][3][4]

## What reason was given

The court convicted Zamora of money laundering and found that his conduct had harmed the Guatemalan economy; President Giammattei's government said Guatemala had a free press and denied any political motivation.[1][2][3][4]

## What changed for reporting

One of Guatemala's most prominent investigative outlets closed and its founder was imprisoned within the same year, a sequence press-freedom groups said sent a message to other Guatemalan journalists covering official corruption.[2][4]

## Timeline

- 2023-06-14: Guatemala convicts investigative journalist Jose Ruben Zamora on money-laundering charge

## Who acted

| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Alejandro Giammattei](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/alejandro-giammattei) | other | President of Guatemala, 2020-2024 |
| [Guatemalan Public Ministry](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/guatemalan-public-ministry) | enforced | Public prosecutor's office |

## Outlets and journalists

| Name | Kind | Relation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [El Periodico](https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/el-periodico) | outlet | affected |
| [Jose Ruben Zamora](https://thewaronnews.com/journalists/jose-ruben-zamora) | journalist, El Periodico | affected |

## Sources

1. Guatemala convicts journalist Jose Ruben Zamora. https://www.npr.org/2023/06/14/1182205789/guatemala-convicts-journalist-jose-ruben-zamora (NPR, 2023-06-14).
2. Guatemalan court convicts prominent journalist Jose Ruben Zamora. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/14/guatemalan-court-convicts-prominent-journalist-jose-ruben-zamora (Al Jazeera, 2023-06-14).

## Claims cited

[1] Zamora said prosecutors treated him and his colleagues like criminals and destroyed evidence. Quote: "They treated us like criminals. They destroyed evidence." Source: Al Jazeera, 2023-06-14. Guatemalan court convicts prominent journalist Jose Ruben Zamora. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/14/guatemalan-court-convicts-prominent-journalist-jose-ruben-zamora Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/424, checked 2026-09-22.

[2] CPJ said the conviction sent a message that reporting on corruption could be treated as a crime. Quote: "[This is] sending a very chilling message to journalists – that basically reporting on corruption is a crime." Source: Al Jazeera, 2023-06-14. Guatemalan court convicts prominent journalist Jose Ruben Zamora. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/14/guatemalan-court-convicts-prominent-journalist-jose-ruben-zamora Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/425, checked 2026-09-22.

[3] The court found that Zamora's conduct had harmed the Guatemalan economy. Quote: "harmed the Guatemalan economy." Source: Al Jazeera, 2023-06-14. Guatemalan court convicts prominent journalist Jose Ruben Zamora. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/14/guatemalan-court-convicts-prominent-journalist-jose-ruben-zamora Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/426, checked 2026-09-22.

[4] El Periodico's leadership cited pressure on its advertisers and on its operations when it closed in May 2023. Quote: "harassment of our advertisers" Source: Al Jazeera, 2023-06-14. Guatemalan court convicts prominent journalist Jose Ruben Zamora. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/14/guatemalan-court-convicts-prominent-journalist-jose-ruben-zamora Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/427, checked 2026-09-22.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-guatemala-convicts-zamora-money-laundering. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.