In the midst of a wave of violence against the media following the 2009 Honduran coup, which includes the death of 10 journalists, the government said it will create a special unit to investigate crimes against journalists, La Tribuna reports.
The 150-agent strong unit will also focus on protecting other at risk sectors: “We will create a special investigative group and taskforce to protect this vulnerable group, which includes women, young people, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, as well as journalists, because they are already falling prey to such violence,” said Security Minister Óscar Álvarez, quoted by El Heraldo.
Threats and violence have made Honduras one of the most dangerous places in the hemisphere to practice journalism, which promted the U.S. to offer to help investigate crimes against media workers and send an FBI taskforce to the country.
In response to violence elsewhere in the region, both Colombia and Mexico have recently strengthened their offices that investigate crimes against journalists.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
