Prominent Guatemalan Anti-Corruption Lawyer Shot Dead in Capital

Prominent Guatemalan anti-corruption lawyer Juan Francisco Solorzano Foppa was shot dead by two gunmen at a sports center in the capital. Guatemalan police swiftly apprehended two suspects near the scene, seizing a carbine rifle and a motorcycle allegedly used in the attempted getaway.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo strongly condemned the assassination, directing law enforcement authorities to track down any additional accomplices. "I strongly condemn this cowardly murder," Arevalo wrote on the social media platform X, emphasizing that perpetrators and masterminds must face the full force of the law.

Solorzano Foppa spent years leading public and legal battles against high-ranking political and business figures in the country. He previously served as head of criminal investigations for the prosecutor's office and managed the local tax authority from 2016 to 2018, prosecuting powerful businessmen and recovering unpaid taxes.

In 2025, the lawyer exposed alleged ties between the Barrio 18 criminal gang and the National Hope party, highlighting the infiltration of criminal organizations into the judicial system. In 2023, he briefly joined the defense team of jailed journalist Jose Ruben Zamora before stepping down after facing controversial obstruction charges.