Former Guatemalan anti-corruption prosecutor killed in the capital

Former Guatemalan prosecutor Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa, 43, was shot dead yesterday in the Campo de Marte sports center, in the capital Guatemala City.

Gustavo Adolfo Aguilar Gamarro, a member of the Guatemalan Judo Federation, also died in the ambush. Two brothers were arrested about ten minutes after the attack, but the motive for the double murder has not yet been clarified.

Solórzano Foppa was known for his commitment against corruption. From 2013 to 2016 he directed the Criminal Analysis unit of the Prosecutor's Office, contributing to the investigation of the La Línea customs scandal, which in 2015 led to the resignation of President Otto Pérez Molina. From 2016 to 2018 he led the Guatemalan tax authority, promoting initiatives against tax evasion. In recent years he had denounced alleged links between political leaders and the Barrio 18 gang, as well as relations between criminal organizations and the judicial system.

President Bernardo Arévalo condemned the murder and promised to prosecute both the perpetrators and any instigators. “We will find them and make justice prevail,” he declared. The attack took place in broad daylight, in front of families and children, including the son of the former prosecutor.