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Press Freedom

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New law in Dominican Republic would censor press and social media users

"A constitutional law that intends to regulate the exercise of the right to privacy, honor, good name and self-image, was approved in the Senate. The bill proposed by the senator from Bahoruco, Melania Salvador, contains a series of articles that could directly clash with freedom of expression. Although of a civil, and not criminal, nature, […]

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Brazilian government creates 'TV Bolsonaro'; president turns public broadcaster into propaganda machine

"A feature story by Luigi Mazza, published in the May issue of Piauí, shows how President Jair Bolsonaro has politically biased the Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC), whose main outlet is TV Brasil. The story, which interviewed 29 employees and former employees of the station, as well as former managers, talks about the constant presence […]

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Legal proceedings against Cuban journalist Camila Acosta closed

"The political police fined and closed the precautionary measure of house arrest against independent Cuban journalist Camila Acosta. She remained [in house arrest] for ten months pending trial, due to her participation as a reporter in the anti-government demonstrations of last July 11, in Havana. (...) 'Accepting this fine means that, without even being able […]

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Guatemalan official files criminal suit against three journalists under violence against women law

"Guatemalan authorities should drop all charges against three journalists from the independent newspaper elPeriódico and stop using laws intended to protect women from violence to target and intimidate reporters, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On May 13, Judge Anaelsee Ramírez formally notified elPeriódico publisher José Rubén Zamora, editor Gerson Ortiz, and reporter Cristian […]

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Journalists urge Peruvian Congress to lift the ban on access to the press

"Dozens of journalists held a sit-in on May 11 in front of the Peruvian Congress to demand 'respect for the right to information' and immediate access for information professionals inside the parliamentary headquarters, which has been restricted for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event, set up by the Peruvian Press Council, the […]

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FLIP denounces arrest of two journalists who were investigating the murder of a prosecutor in Colombia

"The Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) has denounced the arrest on Saturday in Barú, in Cartagena, in northern Colombia, of two journalists who were investigating the murder of Paraguayan prosecutor Marcelo Pecci, who was shot on May 10 in Barú when he was honeymoon trip. The journalists, identified as Luis Ángel and María Luna Mendoza, […]

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New Cuban Penal Code seeks to stifle social protest and independent journalism, experts say

"The new Penal Code of Cuba, approved this Sunday, May 15, in the National Assembly, has raised criticism from the beginning from dissidents and activists, who denounce that it will suffocate social protests and independent journalism. […] What is most worrying, the experts say, are the new criminal types for public disorder and against State […]

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Legal harassment in Brazil: When denouncing a judge in the media means going bankrupt (or even going to prison)

"From north to south in Brazil, magistrates have interfered with press freedom and profited from it. I mapped a series of cases in which members of the judiciary followed Judge Lopes' example: displeased with what they read, they appealed to professional colleagues to silence journalists. In most situations, there are also demands for compensation reaching […]

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Five independent journalism voices that have shaken Cuba

“On May 3, World Press Freedom Day was celebrated, which in Cuba means a lot. In a country where press freedom is rare and access to independent media is restricted, these five journalists have impacted the Cuban media scene with their distinct and independent perspectives.” Read the original story (in Spanish)

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Suriname journalist detained, investigated on defamation charges after reporting on police

"On May 3, journalist Mones Nazarali turned himself in at the police headquarters in the city of Nieuw Nickerie, in Suriname’s Nickerie district, after being summoned by the police following a criminal complaint [...]. Police arrested Nazarali, who was taken before a public prosecutor and charged with several crimes, including defamation, slander, disturbing the public order, […]

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Stigmatization of journalists and blocking access to information, the most frequent violations of press freedom so far this year in Bolivia

"The National Union of Institutions for Social Action Work (Unitas, by its Spanish acronym) observatory registered 61 violations of press freedom so far this year in the country, of which two are the most recurrent: stigmatization of journalists and blocking access to information, both with 16 registered cases. Four other recurring violations are attacks on […]

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Colombian regulator: Economic, commercial and political interests of TV channels are the greatest risk for information pluralism

"The Communications Regulation Commission (CRC) presented the results of the 'Study of risks to information pluralism in Colombian open television' so that the country's television media and the public have resources to understand the elements that imply a risk to diversity of information, something fundamental for freedom of expression and democracy, the entity said. The […]