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Press Freedom

Justices of the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) participate in a plenary session. One justice sits at the center of the image, while other members of the court are seated to the left, engaged in discussion.

Brazil’s top court rules media not liable for guests’ defamatory statements in live interviews

The Supreme Court, updating a 2023 ruling on media liability, says outlets will only be on the hook if they act negligently or knowingly broadcast defamatory statements. They must also guarantee a right of reply to any implicated third party.

Jail razor wire

Detentions of journalists in Venezuela serve as punishment and warning to others

Journalists and human rights organizations say Venezuelan authorities detain and release journalists to control and censor, using ‘punishment as warning’ as a tool to instill fear and silence the press.

A computer screen displaying the Dominican Republic flag with social media icons

Accusations of USAID payments fuel harassment of journalists in the Dominican Republic

At least half a dozen Dominican journalists were targeted online after being accused of receiving support from the U.S. government, highlighting how U.S. political narratives resonate in Latin America.

Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora sent back to prison after appeals court revokes house arrest

Zamora, known for exposing government corruption, was put behind bars after four months in house arrest. Press freedom groups say it’s part of an effort to silence critical reporting. It’s ‘arbitrary and illegal,’ his son José says.

A pair of hands holds a copy of the “Gaceta Oficial de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela,” while multiple microphones labeled with “TV,” “Media,” and “Prensa” surround the scene. A cracked glass effect overlays the image, symbolizing the impact of new regulations on the press and media.

Are new laws and economic asphyxiation the final blow for independent media in Venezuela?

Two new laws that impose new restrictions on independent media, plus the suspension of funding through US agencies, leave the Venezuelan press with few options for survival.

News deserts are expanding in Latin America, leaving communities vulnerable to disinformation and polarization

Irene Benito, who’s heading one of the studies on news deserts currently underway, tells LJR in an interview that the absence of news not only leaves communities without information. It also erodes democracy.

Latin American journalists seeking asylum in the US left with no clear path as immigration policies tighten

Exiled journalists face stalled asylum cases and the end of humanitarian parole. Those sent back to Nicaragua or Venezuela would return to regimes openly hostile to press freedom.

Rixi Moncada, presidential candidate and current Minister of Defense of Honduras, stands with her right hand over her heart, wearing a beige suit. Beside her, General Hernández, in a green military uniform with numerous medals, salutes. In the background, other military personnel and photographers are visible.

Ahead of Honduras' presidential election, military and ruling party escalate pressure on journalists

Military officials want the names of anonymous sources while politicians dismiss news outlets as ‘pseudo-media.’ The result? ‘Self-censorship,’ a press advocate warns.

Seven months after her disappearance, colleagues of journalist Fabiola Tercero demand information on her whereabouts

Tercero promoted books and reading. Now press groups, who are demanding answers on two other jailed reporters, say her disappearance is a symbol of Nicaragua’s crackdown on free thought

Three soldiers standing back to back with guns drawn

Colombia’s deadliest violence since peace accords reminds local journalists of darker times

As two armed groups fight for control to traffic drugs through the Catatumbo region, local journalists are facing new risks to cover violence that has displaced 36,000 people.

collage of political prisoners

Independent media launch data project to verify political prisoner releases in Cuba

The #Todos platform, created by an alliance of 10 independent media outlets, has also become a call for the freedom of all political prisoners in Cuba.

The most important stories of 2024, according to the LatAm Journalism Review team

In 2024, journalists from Mexico to Nicaragua to Brazil faced mounting violence, censorship and harassment — yet persisted through courageous reporting. Here are our reporters’ most pressing and memorable stories of the year.