“A regional report by the Böll Foundation compiles the fear of Salvadoran journalists in the face of attacks coming from the government. Experts consider that the climate could worsen in the short term.
‘The censorship and self-censorship motivated by the authoritarian behavior of President Nayib Bukele and his government, as well as the existing state of emergency, were the most mentioned threats. The lack of access to public information, the absence of guarantees for the practice of journalism and the nonexistence of independence between branches of government were also pointed out as threats […].’
The study was carried out by the Freedom of Expression and Right to Information Program (PROLEDI) of the University of Costa Rica, with the support of the Heinrich Böll Foundation. According to its authors, ‘it is an effort to monitor, from a critical analysis, the situation of regional journalism.’
For El Salvador, 22 journalists participated, who considered that the exercise of freedom of expression in the country has been complicated in recent years due to three main causes: the state of emergency (implemented since March 2022); the attempt of a Gag Law that sought to prevent the media from reporting on the actions of gangs, but which was finally repealed; and the re-election of President Nayib Bukele in 2024.”
