By Cesar Gomez (Maya Pocomam, CS Staff)
May 3 is World Press Freedom Day. According to the United Nations, freedom of the press is a fundamental right—one that is indispensable to democracy and the rule of law. However, in Indigenous communities in Guatemala—which remain isolated and neglected by the government—journalists exercise this right under adverse conditions, without the protection of any specific legislation. The last week of April 2026, news broke regarding the murder of journalist Carlos Cal Ical, from the department of Cobán in northern Guatemala. Now, the journalistic community is demanding justice to ensure this crime is not left unpunished.
In its 2026 report, Human Rights Watch highlights the critical situation facing journalists in Guatemala, listing 19 journalists currently in exile and documenting over 4,000 incidents committed against human rights defenders and media workers in 2024. Meanwhile, in August 2025, Reporters Without Borders published a report stating that journalists covering extractive projects, forced evictions, or other sensitive issues face heightened risks. "In these communities, the lack of local and regional news coverage makes community radio the true voice of the people," notes Lorenzo Mateo, a founding member of Radio Jolom Konob—a community radio station based in Santa Eulalia, Huehuetenango. The station began broadcasting in 1998, just two years after the signing of the Peace Accords in Guatemala.
Since its inception, the station’s primary objective has been to broadcast news and content focused on human rights and the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Lorenzo—better known as "Lencho" within social activist circles—recalls that in the late 1990s, mining and hydroelectric projects began to be established across several municipalities in Huehuetenango, while the State completely disregarded the communities' rights to prior, informed consultation and consent. This omission sparked a range of reactions, both in favor of and against the projects. The organized community subsequently demanded that the government of the day respect their rights and uphold the principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent.
Community radio played a pivotal role in this process by providing coverage of the consultation proceedings, educating the public on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and reporting on the final outcomes of the consultations. In Santa Eulalia, the communities said “NO,” as the town rejected the installation of extractive projects; however, prior controversies arose with certain segments of the population because the companies did not sit idly by—instead, they implemented a disinformation campaign through commercial radio stations.
The Risks that Community Journalism Carries
“In these communities, being a journalist isn’t easy; everyone knows you—they know where you live and which family you come from. If you publish something, people say... ‘So-and-so published that,’” asserts Noé Ismalej, a communicator for the Indigenous community radio station Uqul Tinamit, located in northern Guatemala. He adds, “As of now, there is no law in place to protect our journalistic work.” Concepción Ajanel, from the community radio station La Niña, echoes this sentiment, further highlighting that “the State has not authorized radio frequencies for Indigenous community broadcasters, thereby increasing the vulnerability of these communicators.”
“In these communities, commercial radio stations don’t provide news; they merely entertain the audience with music. Those that ‘do’ broadcast news rely on reports produced in the city, thereby diminishing interest in what is actually happening within the communities—even when those local events are of high significance,” states Lencho.
During the 2023 elections, the authorities of the 48 Cantons of Totonicapán stood up to defend democracy; they staged a sit-in outside the Public Prosecutor's Office headquarters in the capital city after learning that personnel from the investigative body had seized election records and ballots. This action garnered support from the majority of Guatemalans, who joined the demonstrations for over three months at various locations across the country. The community radio station La Niña deployed two correspondents to cover the entire duration of the protest in the capital. Their mission was to provide daily updates to the people of Totonicapán regarding the events unfolding at the site. “Since then, we have received numerous threatening phone calls and anonymous messages accusing us of being corrupt and ‘bought off’ by the government—all simply for reporting on the injustices perpetrated by the ‘Pact of the Corrupt,’” asserts Ajanel.
“On one occasion, a government official—ostensibly as a ‘joke’—tried to run me over with his vehicle, because just days earlier I had published a report regarding the lack of potable water service in the municipality,” explains Ismalej. "I did not report it because there are precedents involving journalists in other departments who presented their cases to judicial authorities—cases that failed to advance, were shelved or dismissed, or in which the complaint was turned back against the journalists themselves—due to possible connections between public officials and members of the judiciary," explains Ismalej.
"In 2015, the municipal mayor shut down our community radio station, Jolom Konob, with the specific aim of preventing us from reporting on a crime he had committed," notes Lencho. "Using social media, we alerted the public to the station's closure and the events involving the mayor. This action forced us to hide in the mountains for a couple of days, as the mayor's staff was actively searching for us. The event that most deeply shook us—the members of the radio station—was the kidnapping and murder of our colleague, communicator, and community leader, Daniel Pedro, a key organizer of the 2006 community consultation in Santa Eulalia. Although the perpetrator who carried out the killing has since been convicted, those who masterminded the crime have yet to face justice."
Lack of Protection for Journalists
The current government—as well as its predecessors—owes a debt to the press: the creation of a protection mechanism for journalists that explicitly includes Indigenous community communicators. These communicators are particularly vulnerable, as they operate in territories where State institutions are either minimal or entirely absent.
In its report submitted during the 2022 Universal Periodic Review, the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman highlighted the State's failure to fulfill its international commitments. Since 2012, the State has pledged to implement a protection program for journalists—a pledge it has yet to fulfill.
"Threats and defamation targeting communicators are frequent; moreover, 'netcenters' and fake social media profiles now serve to amplify disinformation or discredit journalists," reveals Laura Ajcalón of Radio Juventud, a community radio station in Sololá. Ajcalón formerly coordinated Ix, a news program that promoted issues related to women's participation and other social topics.
"In our experience, whenever we attempted to cover a press conference, we were sometimes denied access—either because we were Indigenous women, because we lacked a press credential from a corporate media outlet, or simply because we represented an Indigenous community radio station—actions that served to disparage our work," asserts Ajcalón. "We have nowhere to report these actions, which constitute violations of the right to information and freedom of expression. Although the Public Prosecutor's Office is the designated investigative body, we cannot turn to it for help, as it is the very institution that criminalizes Indigenous community radio stations," she adds.
The Movement of Community Radio Stations of Guatemala has repeatedly denounced these incidents at both the national and international levels. During the recent evaluation by the Committee against Discrimination and Racism in November 2025, the group of experts requested updated information from the State of Guatemala regarding guarantees for the exercise of freedom of expression by Indigenous peoples, as well as the adoption of a legal framework for community media in accordance with the Inter-American Court’s judgment dated December 17, 2021. They also requested information on the actions taken to effectively protect journalists, human rights defenders, and leaders and members of Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities. To date, there has been no concrete response from the government of Guatemala.
Reporting to Counter Disinformation
“Even if I risk my life, I cannot stop reporting to my community; it runs in my blood,” emphasizes Lencho. Ajanel, for his part, notes: “We see how justice institutions are criminalizing human rights activists who raise their voices. We cannot remain silent in the face of this injustice; we must report using accurate sources.” For Ajcalón, the practice of journalism is a passion: “...it demands a clear vision—that we are working for our community—for we are the spokespersons for our peoples, and this is what sets us apart from other media outlets. We tell the news exactly as it is,” he concludes.
Ismalej stresses: “It is essential that public officials receive training regarding the role of community communicators so that they do not view us as enemies, and so they understand that we merely serve as a conduit for conveying information and that [our function is] to serve the community. If they are mentioned in any publication, they have the right of reply, which allows them to clarify or offer their perspective on what is taking place. They should no longer view [journalists] as enemies.”
“We are knowledgeable about people's rights—as well as our own rights—thanks to the training we have received from human rights organizations. I now even hold a bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences,” concludes Ajanel. In addition to his deepened understanding of journalism, he is acutely aware of the responsibility entailed in conveying the truth—uncensored—and doing so in the Maya K’iche’ language.
