The Americas Policy Group (APG), a network of 22 Canadian civil society organizations working with organizations and communities in Latin America and the Caribbean for human rights and social justice, expresses its shock and sorrow at the brazen assassination of Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa. He was gunned down in front of his children on October 17, when assassins fired more than 25 bullets into his body as he participated in a soccer match.
An anti-corruption activist lawyer and prosecutor, Solórzano Foppa served as the head of Guatemala's tax agency from 2016 to 2017. He led a successful campaign to collect millions in back taxes that large corporations had evaded.
He also provided legal counsel for prominent journalist and publisher José Rubén Zamora, who was unjustly imprisoned in retaliation for his work investigating and denouncing corruption.
In 2023, Solórzano Foppa was the leading candidate for the mayorship of Guatemala City when he was arrested on trumped up, politically motivated charges related to his defense of Zamora. Since his release from prison, Solórzano Foppa continued to write extensively on organized crime and its pervasive influence on the Guatemalan State.
Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa was the face of a dynamic generation of young professionals seeking to expose and roll back the criminal networks so deeply rooted in the Guatemalan State. He was a symbol of hope amid widespread corruption. His killers cannot be allowed to crush that hope.
The APG echoes mounting calls from Guatemala and across the world for determined action to bring to justice those responsible for the horrendous murder of Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa AND to protect the lives of other threatened social leaders.
We urge Guatemalan authorities to:
Invest sufficient resources in a rigorous, effective, impartial investigation to find, prosecute, and bring to justice both the assassins and those who ordered and paid for the killing.
Carry out an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the failure of the police protection assigned to Mr. Solórzano Foppa, including any possible negligence or misconduct.
Strengthen measures to protect human rights advocates, anti-corruption prosecutors, journalists and land defenders so they can continue to carry out their vital work in safety.
We urge the Canadian government to:
Publicly condemn the assassination of Mr. Solórzano and express Canada’s interest in impartial justice.
Offer resources to enable anti-impunity efforts in this case and others, should they be requested.
Ensure that Canada's Embassy in Guatemala actively implements the Voices at Risk Guidelines, including through regular engagement with human rights defenders, monitoring and reporting on threats, and diplomatic engagement with Guatemalan authorities to promote their protection.
In closing, the APG extends our deepest condolences to the Solórzano Foppa family which now, through three generations, has suffered the devastating impact of political violence. Juan Francisco’s grandmother, the acclaimed writer Alaide Foppa, was forcibly disappeared by the Guatemalan military in 1980.
The assassination of Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa must not be allowed to fall into the impunity of countless other atrocities in Guatemala.
Justice for Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa! Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa ¡Presente!