"Central America has never been known for its commitment to freedom of the press, but in recent months there have been more and more cases of imprisonment of journalists, illegal raids on newsrooms or the closure of radio stations that are a nuisance to the authorities. France 24 spoke to two heavyweights in the defense of journalism, the Inter American Press Association and Reporters Without Borders, who offered their not very encouraging outlook and issued several warnings.
There are countries where, as long as you have proof, you can write and publish about any abusive activity of those in power. This is definitely not the case of several Central American countries, a region that has become an island where criticism is persecuted and punished. The arrest -last Friday- of José Rubén Zamora, one of Guatemala's leading journalists, brought this to mind.
This strip of land between Guatemala and Panama is becoming one of the most dangerous places in the world to practice journalism."
