Growing threats to press freedom in Latin America

 

The article discusses the growing threats to press freedom in Latin America, where journalists face violence, imprisonment, and harassment. In Mexico, at least five journalists were killed last year, and many more have been arbitrarily arrested or forced to flee due to harassment. The country has the highest number of missing journalists in the world, with at least 15 professionals missing in 2023.

In Cuba, the government has cracked down on independent journalists, with 274 aggressions reported in 2023. Journalists face arbitrary arrests, suppression of internet service, and other forms of harassment. Many have been forced into exile, including Abraham Jimenez, who was portrayed as a CIA agent in state media and eventually left the country after being told to leave or face jail.

In Nicaragua, the government has targeted journalism, with the newspaper La Prensa being occupied by police and its general manager, Juan Lorenzo Hollman Chamorro, being arrested and sentenced to nine years in prison. The government has also forced the closure of the television channel "100% Noticias" and expropriated the building where La Prensa was located. Many journalists have been forced into exile, and the country no longer has a print newspaper.

In Venezuela, the government has consolidated censorship mechanisms, and journalists face physical aggressions, stigmatizing discourse, and secrecy. The government perceives the independent press as an internal enemy, and many journalists have emigrated due to threats. In Ecuador, a group of hooded men stormed a live news program on TC Television, holding journalists and staff hostage for several hours.

The article concludes that the security context in Latin America is regrettable and generates repercussions against communication workers. Many countries in the region have shifted radically from left to right depending on the president in power, but across the spectrum, many leaders seem to show hostility toward journalism, particularly on social media. This erosion of press freedom is a dangerous threat to democracy in the region.