Despite opposition from journalism groups, the president of Costa Rica announced a new law would take effect punishing journalists and citizens with up to 10 years in prison for releasing "political secrets," according to the newspaper El País on Wednesday, Nov. 7.
The Brazil's Chamber of Deputies, the lower legislative house, approved two cyber-crime laws and set a date for the vote on an Internet Bill of Rights, reported the magazine Época on Nov. 7.
Reporters Without Borders asked Honduran authorities to immediately provide protection for the independent reporter Karla Zelaya, who has received death threats and was recently kidnapped and tortured during an interrogation about her work.
The dismissal of an online journalist in Colombia for writing an opinion column about the public relations practices of a Canadian oil company, as Clases de Periodismo reported, sparked outcry and reignited the debate about the influence of publicity on news coverage.
The suspected killer of Mexican magazine reporter Regina Martínez claimed he was tortured into confessing to the crime and retracted his statement, reporters in Veracruz told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez was released on Friday Oct. 5, after being detained for 30 hours, according to the Los Angeles Times and the blogger on her Twitter account.
The building housing the newspaper El Regional, in Venezuela, was fired upon in the morning of Thursday, Nov. 1, reported El Universal.
After reporting for the Houston Chronicle for over 20 years in Mexico and around the world, former Mexico City bureau chief and reporter Dudley Althaus ended his career with the newspaper last month when the Chronicle decided to shutter the bureau.
The government of Uruguay ordered the closing of 74 community broadcasters for noncompliance with a law past last Nov. 1, reported the newspaper El País. According to the government, 20 of the broadcasters were proselytizing, added the newspaper.
The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) condemned another multi-million dollar charge brought against the newspaper La Prensa in Panama that reported on the Ochy Diez business group's contracts with the government of President Ricardo Martinelli.
An Argentine journalist claimed he was threatened by a retired military officer who is being prosecuted for possible crimes against humanity, reported the newspaper Diario de Cuyo.
Photojournalist Eros Hoagland agreed to have a film crew follow him through the streets of Rio de Janeiro for an upcoming HBO documentary on conflict photographers – but his driver didn’t.