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.
Two important cases for freedom of expression on the continent were heard during the most recent Period of Sessions of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (I/A Court HR) that ended on June 25: one about community radios in Guatemala, and the other about of case of the newspaper El Universo in Ecuador.
Ending excuses for not including expert voices of women and non-binary people in journalistic texts from Venezuela is the main objective of the recently launched project Mujeres Referentes, developed by media outlets that make up Alianza Rebelde and Chicas Poderosas Venezuela.
The recent resignation of a group of journalists claiming a violation of the Guiding Principles of their media outlet, as well as the subsequent dismissal of two producers from the América TV and Canal N channels has caused a scandal in which even the press council’s Ethics Court is involved.
More than 20 years after journalist Jineth Bedoya was attacked, the Colombian State is judged by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. National and international media are paying close attention to the court's decision due to its implications for freedom of expression and women journalists in the region.
In one of the most aggressive actions against the independent press in Nicaragua, the country's public prosecutor, close to the administration of President Daniel Ortega, has called at least 16 journalists from the country as witnesses or has named them among those investigated in a case of alleged money laundering.
The information on the profile of journalists killed in the last decade in the four countries of the region with protection mechanisms makes clear the need to strengthen them. The data was obtained during the development of the project 'In Danger– Analysis of journalist protection programs in Latin America' carried out by RSF with the support of Unesco.
In a new assault on the Nicaraguan press, this May 20 the government of Daniel Ortega raided for the second time the editorial office of magazine Confidencial, founded by journalist Carlos Fernando Chamorro, at the same time that it arrested different international journalists who they covered the incident. A cameraman for the media outlet remains missing.
In what is perhaps one of the most critical moments for journalism in El Salvador, the approval of the Law for the Protection of Journalists seems farther and farther away. The bill seeks to be very comprehensive, covering issues from labor rights to the different types of violence suffered by journalists, also including a gender perspective for problems affecting women journalists.
“It is symbolic and it is very important to understand the moment in which we live,” André Biernath said during the 14th Ibero-American Colloquium of Digital Journalism during the panel “Challenges in the coverage of the pandemic in Ibero-America amid the ‘infodemic,’ the epidemic of disinformation.”
LatAm Journalism Review spoke with UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay about advances in recent years, the situation for journalists on the American continent and the organization’s alliance with the Knight Center in seeking to strengthen journalism and reporting.