Lawyer for jailed Guatemalan news director is arrested

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemalan authorities have arrested a lawyer representing the jailed director of an investigative newspaper and are pursuing a second lawyer for alleged obstruction of justice. José Rubén Zamora of El Periodico was ordered to stand trial on money laundering charges in December related to a 2013 donation to his newspaper that he asked a friend to deposit to hide the donor’s identity. Zamora and his paper had aggressively pursued stories of wrongdoing and corruption in the current administration of President Alejando Giammattei. Anti-corruption prosecutor Rafael Curruchiche said in video statement that Zamora’s lawyers had conspired to obstruct the investigation. Mario Castañeda was arrested and authorities were seeking the arrest of Romeo Montoya.