Guatemala City Shooting Kills Anti-Corruption Lawyer

Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa, 43, was shot dead on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the Campo Marte sports complex in Guatemala City. Gustavo Adolfo Aguilar Gamarro also died. Police detained Rigoberto Choc Toz, 30, and Daniel Zaqueo Choc Toz, 28, near San Isidro Boulevard in Zone 16 and seized a carbine-style firearm and a motorcycle. President Bernardo Arévalo condemned the killing on X, saying the direct perpetrators and those who ordered it must face the full weight of the law, and that terror will not intimidate Guatemalans or his government. He ordered coordination with authorities to solve the crime. Foppa led criminal investigations from 2013 to 2016 and the tax authority SAT from 2016 to 2018, pursuing powerful business figures and unpaid taxes. In 2023 he briefly joined journalist José Rubén Zamora’s defense before obstruction accusations and a plea agreement. In 2025 he alleged Barrio 18 ties to the National Unity of Hope party and gang links to the judicial system. Aktualita.co said the shooting came around 9:40 a.m. during a football match and, citing AP, reported five others injured and more than 30 spent casings; other sources did not confirm those details. The site said the suspects denied involvement and asked for security-camera review. No public motive has been established.