Guatemalan Reporter Found Dead After Receiving Threats, Press Freedom Groups Demand Investigation

December 19, 2025 – Guatemala – 

Guatemalan journalist Jorge Agustín Zapeta Aguilar, 56, was found dead on December 16, 2025, in a rural stretch of El Aguacatal in the Suchitepéquez department, days after his family reported that he had received threats and subsequently went missing. Local media and press freedom advocates have condemned the killing, underscoring deepening concerns about journalist safety in Guatemala.

According to local reporting, Zapeta was last seen alive on December 14, and his disappearance triggered urgent searches by relatives after he failed to make contact. His body was discovered alongside a roadside near a coffee plantation in San Pablo Jocopilas, close to where he had been conducting community reporting. The Association of Journalists of Guatemala denounced the killing and expressed outrage that a working reporter lost his life shortly after reporting threats related to his professional activities.

Zapeta’s work focused on local issues in San Pablo Jocopilas and Santo Tomás La Unión, and colleagues have emphasised that his reporting often touched on sensitive matters affecting his community. While formal confirmation of motive has not been released, press freedom groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), have called on Guatemalan authorities to determine whether Zapeta’s journalistic work was a factor in his death and to pursue a full, transparent investigation that holds perpetrators accountable.

The CPJ has regularly highlighted the persistent dangers faced by journalists in Guatemala, where reporters covering corruption, crime, and civic affairs frequently encounter threats, harassment, and violence. Guatemala has been documented as one of the most challenging environments for media workers in the region, with advocacy organisations reporting numerous instances of aggression against the press, including threats, intimidation, and violence directed at journalists and human rights defenders.

Press freedom observers have stressed that Zapeta’s death reflects broader challenges confronting independent journalism in Guatemala. Latin America has emerged in 2025 as one of the deadliest regions for reporters outside active combat zones, with multiple media workers killed across the region in connection with their work and many cases remaining unresolved.

Guatemalan authorities have faced repeated calls from international groups to strengthen protections for journalists, ensure that investigations into attacks on media professionals are thorough and impartial, and address the climate of impunity that too often accompanies violence against journalists.

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Guatemalan journalist found dead after family reported death threats

Guatemalan reporter found dead after he reported threats