The Latin American Union of News Agencies (ULAN in Spanish) accused private news media outlets of provoking "small coups" in Latin America and also withdrew membership from the Paraguayan Information state news agency.
On Wednesday, July 18, Prosecutors sought a 15-year jail sentence for Cuban journalist José Antonio Torres who wrote a scathing investigative piece critical of an aqueduct construction project in the city of Santiago, according to the Miami Herald.
On Wednesday, June 27, Reporters Without Borders expressed its concern over for freedom of information in Paraguay after the controversial impeachment and removal -- what some are calling a coup -- of President Fernando Lugo on June 22. Since then, the new government has attempted to censor the public television station TV Pública de Paraguay. The channel was launched as the country's first public TV station in May 2011.
The Venezuelan Public Prosecutor initiated an investigation into the attacks against official media journalists from the National Public Media (SNMP in Spanish), on Thursday, May 24, reported El Universal. The investigation was announced by Attorney General Luisa Ortega Díaz on the Venezuelan National Radio station's Thursday show.
Unidentified gunmen fired on a Venezuelan state-run television station, Vive TV, in the country's western state of Zulia on Sunday, July 31. leaving two people injured, reported El Universal.
The National Association of Journalists (CNP in Spanish) in Venezuela accused state media of spreading "hate" messages and urged authorities to take action to curb this practice with the same speed they normally investigate and punish private media, alluding to the recent complaint filed against opposition television station Globovisión, reported El Universal.
The government of El Salvador has announced a plan to make state television and radio broadcasters autonomous public media with the aim of preventing the outlets from being used to serve ruling political interests, reported the news agency AFP.
Argentine senators unanimously approved a bill guaranteeing free public information access in the country, reported La Nación. The measure will go to the House for debate at the end of the month, and is expected to be approved, added the state agency Télam and the publication Perfil.
The Ecuadoran government has ramped up its media presence with the Sept. 6 launch of PP, El Verdadero (the True One), a popular (as in "of the people") publication that, in the words of President Rafael Correa, aims to "counter the de facto powers that are disguised as media" in the country, reported AFP and the news agency Andes.
The journalists’ union at La Nación has proposed turning the state-run paper into an autonomous public media outlet with mixed financing, UPI reports.