Diego Salomón Esteban Gaspar, a presenter on Radio Sembrador was shot by three gunmen on 30 April 2016 in the northern city of Ixcán as he was riding his motorbike. Radio Sembrador’s director reported last year that the station was a frequent target of harassment.

Gaspar’s friend, Jose Lopez Pedro, who witnessed the KILLING reported to the media that the gunmen intended to rob their motorbike in the attack during which they opened fire and shot Diego dead. Despite the allegations of attempted robbery, Diego’s money. wallet, including his credit cards, and his mobile phone were found at the scene.

“How many more journalists will have to be murdered in Guatemala before the authorities start worrying about their protection,” said Emmanuel Colombié, the head of RSF’s Latin America desk.

“The justice system must identify and try those responsible for this violence and stop the flood of murders. And, as a matter of urgency, the authorities must ratify the creation of a national mechanism for the protection of journalists that has been discussed since November 2013. Guatemala’s journalists cannot continue to work in this climate of fear and self-censorship, which has silenced many media outlets.”