The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) just announced its annual awards for Excellence in Journalism 2016, aimed to “encourage excellence in journalism and the defense of freedom of expression throughout the continent.”
Two Venezuelan news outlets suffered attacks from armed men in the past three days.
Arguing that journalists were making recordings in a “presidential corridor,” members of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB for its acronym in Spanish) in Venezuela detained journalists Andreina Flores and Jorge Luis Pérez Valery, according to the Press and Society Institute of Venezuela (IPYS).
Brazilian journalist Maurício Campos Rosa, owner of the newspaper O Grito, died on Aug. 17 after being shot five times. The murder occurred in Santa Luzia, in the metropolitan region of Minas Gerais' state capital. He was the fourth journalist killed in Brazil this year.
For repeatedly questioning the purchase of medication by the Ecuadorian government, journalist Janet Hinostroza, and the broadcaster Teleamazonas in which she hosts an interview program, were sanctioned on Aug. 8 by the Superintendency of Information and Communication (Supercom) of Ecuador, according to Fundamedios, a freedom of expression organization.
Threats and abuse against Noé Zavaleta led the Mexican journalist to leave the state of Veracruz on Aug. 12, according to Aristegui Noticias.
Reporters from the international news network CNN en Español, Fernando del Rincón and Alexis Ardines were summoned again by the Bolivian public prosecutor to testify in the trial of the case of human trafficking concerning the former partner of President Evo Morales, Gabriela Zapata, as reported by Página Siete.
In the course of reporting on Colombia’s violent and complicated internal conflict, journalist Hollman Morris was accused of being an “accomplice to terror” and endured threats and harassment.
Special Rapporteurs at the UN and Inter-American Commission communicated their concerns about the deterioration of media freedom to the Venezuelan government in attempts to open a dialogue with authorities and improve the situation for journalists in the country.
Journalist César Lévano, director of the Peruvian newspaper Diario Uno (formerly newspaper La Primera), and journalist Javier Soto of the same media outlet, were sentenced to pay 50,000 soles (about USD $15,000) as civil reparation for the former advisor of the National Council of the Judiciary Luz Marina Guzmán, for alleged "moral damage" caused by one of their reports, according to the blog LaMula.