Journalist assassinated after receiving work-related threats in Guatemala

The U.S. Embassy in Guatemala on Monday deeply regretted the assassination of journalist Evelio López Sánchez and called for a full investigation to bring those responsible to justice.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the embassy said: “We deeply regret the assassination of journalist Evelio López Sánchez in Huehuetenango, who had received death threats related to his journalistic work. We send our condolences to his family, his colleagues, and APEHUE. A free society needs a press that reports without threats, without fear, and without self-censorship. We hope this case is clarified and that those responsible are held accountable before the justice system.”

López Sánchez, a 34-year-old Maya Mam journalist, was shot multiple times on the night of Friday, October 2, 2026, while heading to his home in San Pedro Necta, Huehuetenango department, near the Mexican border. He was intercepted by a private vehicle and gunned down. He founded and ran the local digital news outlet Huehue Es Noticias (also referred to as Huehue es Noticia or HNT2), covering community issues, indigenous demands, and local affairs. He also worked as a sports commentator and referee.

Colleagues and press associations reported that López Sánchez had publicly denounced death threats linked to his reporting in the days before his killing. He had faced a pattern of harassment dating back to at least 2021, when he survived an armed attack targeting the then-municipal mayor. Despite repeated requests for protection from authorities, his complaints reportedly received no effective response.

The killing sparked outrage in San Pedro Necta. Residents protested and set fire to the local National Civil Police (PNC) substation, a house, and a vehicle after police released a man initially detained in connection with the crime, determining he was not the perpetrator. Authorities later processed the crime scene and assigned the investigation to the regional prosecutor’s office.

Guatemalan press groups, including the Asociación de Prensa de Huehuetenango (APEHUE) and the Asociación de Periodistas de Guatemala (APG), filed complaints with the Public Ministry demanding a rigorous, transparent investigation into both the material and intellectual authors of the crime. International organizations such as the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also condemned the killing. RSF noted that López Sánchez is the second journalist murdered in Guatemala in 2026 and urged authorities to prioritize examining links to his work.

As of early this week, the Public Ministry said it had no established hypothesis for the motive, and no arrests had been publicly confirmed. Police and government officials condemned both the murder and the subsequent violence, calling for calm and cooperation with investigators.