Guatemalan anticorruption lawyer and former prosecutor shot dead; police arrest two men after sports centre attack
Two killed in sports complex attack
Police later reported arresting two men in connection with the case. Officers also seized a carbine-style firearm and a motorcycle, according to police.
President calls for justice
President Bernardo Arevalo condemned Foppa’s killing in a post on his official X account. He said those who carried out the murder and those who ordered it should face the law.
Arevalo said he had instructed his government to coordinate with relevant authorities to solve the crime. He also said the attack would not intimidate Guatemala’s people or his government.
Career in investigations and tax
Foppa, 43, was a former prosecutor and an anticorruption lawyer known for cases involving powerful business figures. He headed the Criminal Investigations Directorate within the Public Prosecutor’s Office before leading Guatemala’s tax authority, SAT, from 2016 to 2018.
Role in journalist’s defence
In 2023, Foppa briefly joined the defence team for Guatemalan journalist Jose Ruben Zamora. He later left the case after the Public Prosecutor’s Office accused him of obstructing proceedings and destroying or concealing information.
Key points
- Juan Francisco Solorzano Foppa and Gustavo Adolfo Aguilar Gamarro died in the shooting.
- Police arrested two men and seized a firearm and motorcycle in connection with the case.
- Foppa led Guatemala’s tax authority from 2016 to 2018.
- President Bernardo Arevalo said authorities would work to solve the killing.