Silvia A. Higuera Flórez is a Colombian journalist who has written for the Knight Center since 2012. She is interested in covering Latin American issues and human rights, especially the right to freedom of expression, and investigative journalism. She studied Social Communication and Journalism at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Bucaramanga (Colombia), and received her Master's of Arts in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin in 2015. She worked with the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) under the Orlando Sierra fellowship during 2014. She also worked for the Colombian newspaper Vanguardia Liberal and wrote for different magazines about local, economic and public order issues. Her work has also appeared in The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald of Miami. Email: silvia.knightcenter@gmail.com
Silvia A. Higuera Flórez es una periodista colombiana que trabaja para el Centro Knight desde el 2012. Su interés periodístico es América Latina y los derechos humanos, particularmente el derecho a la libertad de expresión, así como el periodismo de investigación. Estudió Comunicación Social – Periodismo en la Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana de Bucaramanga (Colombia), y recibió su maestría en Periodismo en la Universidad de Texas, en Austin en 2015. Trabajó para la Relatoría Especial para la Libertad de Expresión de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) en el marco de la beca Orlando Sierra, durante 2014. También hizo parte del diario Vanguardia Liberal y escribió para otras revistas colombianas cubriendo fuentes locales, económicas y judiciales. Algunos de sus trabajos han aparecido en The Miami Herald y El Nuevo Herald de Miami.
Silvia A. Higuera Flórez é uma jornalista colombiana e escreve para o Centro Knight desde 2012. Seu interesse jornalístico é a América Latina e os direitos humanos, nomeadamente o direito à liberdade de expressão. Estudou Comunicação Social – Jornalismo na Universidade Pontifícia Bolivariana de Bucaramanga, na Colômbia e completou seu mestrado em jornalismo na Universidade do Texas em Austin. Silvia trabalhou na Relatoria para a Liberdade de Expressão da CIDH pela bolsa Orlando Sierra, em 2014. Trabalhou para o jornal Vanguardia Liberal e escreveu para outras revistas colombianas cobrindo temas locais, econômicas e judiciárias. Alguns de seus trabalhos apareceram no The Miami Herald e no El Nuevo Herald de Miami.
The six Ecuadorian journalists who participated in the global investigation known as the Panama Papers have been the subject of a “campaign of genuine harassment,” as denounced by the nonprofit organization Fundamedios.
The decision of a judge in Barranquilla, Colombia to order a three-day detention for the director of newspaper El Heraldo, Marco Schwartz, and the imposition of a fine for alleged contempt of an order for rectification has generated controversy in the country.
After two Bolivian government officials made statements against Carlos Valverde, the journalist decided to leave the country for what he considered threats against him, according to what he told newspaper El Deber.
Peruvian journalist Mabel Cáceres will receive the Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF), which has been awarding women journalists who stand out for their “extraordinary bravery” since 1990.
The security situation for the Colombian press seems to be getting worse in the midst of peace negotiations between the government and rebel groups in the country.
The conflict that the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, has with the majority of media in his country is no secret. Since approving the Organic Law of Communication (LOC by its initials in Spanish) in 2013, different national and international organizations have denounced its restrictions on freedom of speech and press freedoms in the country.
Through Twitter accounts of officials or public institutions in Ecuador, 1,384 Tweets with speech disparaging, discrediting or stigmatizing the press in the country were published between June 2012 and November 2015.
Four former officials of the now defunct Department of Administrative Security (DAS) in Colombia were called for questioning by the Attorney General’s Office as part of its investigation of the threats and psychological torture of journalist Claudia Julieta Duque, according to newspaper El Espectador. [Read a brief explanation of the scandal below]
Media outlets and freedom of speech advocacy organizations from around the world came together to honor World Press Freedom Day, celebrated every May 3 since its proclamation by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993.
For the ninth consecutive year, journalists from Latin America, Spain and the United States gathered after the International Symposium on Online Journalism (ISOJ) to discuss trends, challenges and success stories in digital journalism in the region as part of the 9th Ibero-American Colloquium on Digital Journalism.