Swiss coffee trader arrested in Guatemala

The Fedecocagua association has improved rights for small Guatemalan coffee growers. Keystone-SDA

The police in Guatemala arrested a Swiss coffee trader in June. The man is currently under house arrest. The Swiss Foreign Ministry has confirmed a corresponding report in the Tamedia newspapers.

A spokesperson for the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs told the Keystone-SDA news agency on Monday that it was aware of the case and was providing the man with consular protection.

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The proceedings against the Swiss national were first reported on Monday by the newspapers of the media company Tamedia. The man in question is the Director General of the Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives of Guatemalan Coffee Producers (Fedecocagua).

According to the article, the Guatemalan judiciary is accusing the 68-year-old of tax offenses. The association campaigns for the interests of small farmers in the Central American country. Associates of the man therefore suspect a political motive behind the criminal proceedings.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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