After two years of relative stability, attacks on journalists jumped 41 percent in Argentina last year and reached 82 incidents. In 2019, 58 attacks were recorded, while there were 51 in 2018. Data are from the 2020 Monitoring of Freedom of Expression Report, from the Forum of Argentine Journalists (FOPEA, for its acronym in Spanish).
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 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.
UNESCO report conducted more than 900 surveys of women journalists from 125 countries. Most of the journalists contacted said they had received attacks based on disinformation that sought to discredit them personally and professionally.
After receiving two death threats on social media in the last six months, Peruvian investigative journalist Paola Ugaz recently learned that the public prosecutor will not open an investigation in either case.
In Paraguay, 19 journalists have been murdered in the last 30 years, but few cases have been solved. The Bureau for the Safety of Journalists in Paraguay calls for effective measures to protect and prevent crimes against journalists.
An investigation by a coalition of international human rights organizations revealed several leads about the 2012 murder of Mexican journalist Regina Martínez and listed urgent guidelines for the judiciary to reopen the case.
In what has been cataloged by various experts as "re-victimizing,” "unprecedented," and even "shameful," the Colombian State withdrew from a virtual hearing held by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (I/A Court H.R.) regarding the abduction, torture and sexual assault of Colombian journalist Jineth Bedoya Lima in 2000. “The criminals have wanted to silence me […]
In their mission to document the events, many photojournalists in Latin America suffer attacks or arrests by the police.
Authorities grant protection guarantees to Peruvian photographer Iván Orbegoso after he received threats against his life following the publication of a photograph showing a police officer firing straight ahead during a demonstration.
Two reports by press freedom organizations conclude that 2020 was the most dangerous year for professional journalism in recent Brazilian history. Despite the different methodologies, in the two surveys, President Jair Bolsonaro, his children, ministers and the Presidency's Communication Secretariat appear as the main sources of the attacks.
At a time of worsening press freedom in Brazil, at least 15 legislative bills seek to protect media professionals from attacks. Among them, there are proposals to consider as heinous crimes against journalists, to federalize the investigation of these crimes, to toughen penalties of bodily injury and homicides and even to classify the harassment of press professionals as a crime.