“Violations to the right to information [in Costa Rica] reached a record high this year, according to an analysis of the statistics registry of the Supreme Court's Constitutional Chamber carried out by La Nación newspaper. So far in 2024, in 459 appeal cases, magistrates have ruled in favor of citizens to whom institutions have refused […]
The Costa Rican Association of Journalists (Colper) has filed an appeal denouncing attacks by the country’s president, Rodrigo Chaves, against journalists, urging the court to reaffirm the protection of press freedom and the right to information. Colper announced this Wednesday that the appeal was submitted on September 13, and the Constitutional Court accepted it for […]
On Aug. 12, 2024, the official inauguration of the La Casa para el Periodismo Libre (The House for Free Journalism) was held at the National Museum of San José, in Costa Rica. La Casa is an initiative of DW Academie and its local partner in Costa Rica, the Institute for the Press and Freedom of […]
"[...] along with Uruguay, Costa Rica is the only full democracy in Latin America, according to the latest Democracy Index by The Economist, and has been ranked second on the entire continent, after Canada, in the Press Freedom Index from Reporters Without Borders (RSF, for its acronym in French). [...] That's why it has become […]
"The Guild of Journalists and Professionals in Collective Communication Sciences of Costa Rica (Colper, by its Spanish acronym) came to the defense of Vilma Ibarra, journalist and producer of the show Hablando Claro, in the face of threats that emerged on Tuesday [Nov. 7], against her life, in social media. The threats were unleashed after […]
"The 'government hostility' of President Rodrigo Chaves [of Costa Rica] against journalists and media outlets has increased self-censorship in the press, reveals a report by the U.S. organization Freedom House, which details the attacks and persecution from the Executive Branch against La Nación, Teletica and CRHoy. [...] Freedom House highlights as extremely negative what happened […]
"During two months, 30 selected journalists will participate in eight virtual meetings that will seek to highlight how climate change losses and damages are exacerbating multifaceted and interrelated problems in the region, such as climate-induced migration, population displacement, food insecurity and other factors, such as water scarcity, malnutrition and poverty. [...] For this edition, we […]
"Grupo Extra, owner of Diario Extra, TV42 and radio América, announced this Wednesday [May 31], at 4:09 p.m., the closure of its operations starting Thursday, June 1. Iary Gómez Quesada, general manager of the company, attributed the closure to the 'lack of economic reactivation of the country,' which caused, he alleged, that they did not […]
"On Monday morning [March 6], the Criminal Court of the Second Judicial Circuit of San José convicted journalist Marlon Mora Jiménez of two counts of defamation against former presidential candidate and criminal lawyer Juan Diego Castro Fernández. According to the [radio] news show 'Interferencia,' the ruling imposed a fine of CRC 600,000 [about US $1,000] […]
"In the ruling filed today in the Case of Moya Chacón et al. v. Costa Rica, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights found the State of Costa Rica internationally responsible for the violation of the right to freedom of thought and expression to the detriment of journalists Ronald Moya Chacón and Freddy Parrales Chaves, as […]
"Belisario Solano, president of the Costa Rican Association of Journalists (Colper, by its Spanish acronym), requested the IV Court to declare as unconstitutional an official letter drafted by Joselyn Chacón, Minister of Health, which allegedly restricts officials from giving statements or providing information of public interest. Chacón's directive would violate freedom of the press and […]
"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 […]