Several decades have passed since the last dictatorial regimes were established in the Southern Cone of Latin America. Human rights defenders and a journalist talk about the challenges of reporting on the recent past, and why it is important to continue doing so.
Two journalists analyzed in depth the discourse of rulings for change of name and gender of trans people in Peru. They told LJR about the challenges of analyzing 208 sentences through data journalism, while taking care of their own mental health in the process.
Cuban independent journalist Tania Díaz Castro dedicated 60 years to her profession, was a political prisoner, and published four books of poetry. Now 84 years old, she lives alone in Cuba without a pension or retirement. The Casa Palanca collective is carrying out a crowdsourcing campaign to obtain a dignified retirement for the journalist.
Alejandro Astesiano was chief of security of the current President of Uruguay, Luis Lacalle Pou, until he was arrested by the Police for leading an organization that falsified documents to obtain passports for Russian citizens. Very quickly, the Uruguayan press obtained the investigative folder of the case which contained more than a thousand Whatsapp chats by the accused.
Journalists Catalina Ruiz-Navarro, from Colombia, and Graciela Tiburcio Loayza, from Peru, share personal testimonies about judicial harassment they have been subjected to for years for practicing their profession. These are the consequences of making public allegations of abuse and sexual harassment against powerful men.
Faced with an increase in violence against the press in Latin America, two South American journalists are promoting a Model Law for the protection of journalists that could be applied worldwide. Chile is the country that has made the most progress in this regard. Paraguay, Mexico and Brazil follow.
All Argentine media and news outlets covered the criminal trial for the murder of Fernando Baez Sosa, the son of Paraguayan immigrants in Argentina. It was the most shared news of the last few months in this South American country. However, very few media reflected on the racist nature of the crime.