Killing of former anti-graft prosecutor a grim milestone

The assassination at the weekend of anti-graft lawyer Juan Francisco Solorzano Foppa, who made powerful enemies by taking on Guatemala's elite, marks one of the most significant political killings in the country in recent decades, renewing concerns about the vulnerability of those who fight corruption in Central America.



Family, friends and supporters held a wake for Solorzano, 43, on Monday, two days after he was shot dead by two assailants at a Guatemala City sports center.



His burial is scheduled for today.



Guatemalan police said they had detained two men in relation to the killing, and seized a carbine-style firearm and a motorcycle.



Both were released on Sunday without charge and maintain their innocence.



Police said they have yet to establish a motive for the killing.



For Guatemalans, it brought back grim memories of the 1998 assassination of Bishop Juan José Gerardi, who was beaten to death two days after presenting a damning report that documented atrocities from Guatemala's civil war, blaming the army and its allied forces for most of the violence.