Ex-prosecutor's killing puts Guatemala's crime-politics nexus back in focus

Guatemala is reeling after the killing of former anti-corruption prosecutor Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa, shot on a soccer field over the weekend. The outspoken lawyer had denounced alleged links between politicians and business figures and Guatemala’s increasingly powerful organized crime groups, raising fresh fears that violence can target prominent critics and human rights defenders. Frank La Rue attended Solórzano Foppa’s wake and said the killing threatens activists for democracy. Authorities have not confirmed a motive. The Reuters report notes over 100 prosecutors, judges, journalists and rights defenders have left the country in recent years, and the issue may weigh on Guatemala’s June 2027 election to choose the successor to President Bernardo Arévalo.