In response to criticism from journalists and media outlets, the Colombian government said a proposed law that punishes officials who leak confidential information will not affect the media and that journalism issues have their own jurisdiction, El Tiempo reports.
Cuban state-television is accusing a former Reuters bureau chief of serving as a liaison for CIA intelligence, reported the Associated Press.
Freelance journalist and former Associated Press correspondent John Enders says that members of Venezuela's intelligence agency were harassing and attempting to intimidate him, the Press and Society Institute (IPYS) reports via IFEX.
Peruvian journalist Vicky Peláez, who was convicted of spying on the U.S. for Russian in June 2010, denied the charges and said she only pled guilty to win her freedom, Correo reports.
Colombian journalist Daniel Coronell, who faced off against former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe, was named the vice president of news for the U.S. Spanish-language television station Univisión, reported EFE and Vanguardia on Jan. 21.
Colombia's Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) has released its report “Espionage against journalists" about the campaign by Colombia's intelligence service to smear and spy on several reporters. The report compiles the major breakthroughs on investigations about the case.
Panama’s decision to grant asylum to the former director of Colombian intelligence (DAS), María de Pilar Hurtado, could lead to impunity for illegal espionage against media outlets and journalists during the government of Álvaro Uribe, warned the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).
Two journalists for Clarín newspaper, Daniel Santoro and Gerardo Young, testified Wednesday, Nov. 17, to a parliamentary commission that is investigating an illegal wiretapping scandal involving the city government of Buenos Aires, Clarín reports.
President Juan Manuel Santos revealed that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) had been ordered to kill journalist Olga Cecilia Vega, who according to the group had infiltrated the FARC and worked for intelligence agencies from the United States, EFE and RCN Radio reported.
The Federal Police are working to indict journalist Amaury Ribeiro Júnior for his alleged role in violating the financial privacy of individuals linked to opposition presidential candidate José Serra, O Estado de S. Paulo and O Globo report.
Former President Álvaro Uribe has assumed “legal and political responsibility” for actions taken by his former chief of staff, Bernardo Moreno, one of nine former senior officials sanctioned for the espionage scandal involving wiretaps and illegal surveillance of judges, opponents, and journalists, Colombia Reports, Associated Press, and El Espectador report.
Thieves made off with computers and several USB drives from the house of Ignacio Gómez, a TV news host and the president of the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP). For the journalist, one of the targets of illegal spying by the Administrative Department of Security (Colombia’s intelligence agency – DAS), this is the fifth robbery in seven years.