This post is a summary of four articles. The first was published at https://rsf.org/en/rsf-2020-index-latin-americas-dark-horizon-press-freedom. The second was published at https://www.icij.org/inside-icij/2021/05/press-freedom-has-deteriorated-in-the-face-of-a-global-pandemic-journalists-share-on-world-press-freedom-day/. The third was published at https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2021/country-chapters/brazil. The fourth was published at https://latamjournalismreview.org/articles/at-least-seven-journalists-killed-for-their-work-in-latin-america-in-2020-mexico-deadliest-country-for-profession-in-the-region/
The environment for journalists in Latin America is increasingly complex and hostile. Many journalists covering sensitive subjects have experienced an increase in harassment, violence and intimidation. At the same time, the media have been subjected to major smear campaigns in most of the region's countries. Aside from two notable exceptions, Costa Rica now ranked 7th in the index after rising three places, and Uruguay, which has held on to its 19th place. The Index is characterized by an overall decline in respect for press freedom in Latin America. Harassment and stigmatization of the media, fed by online disinformation and attacks, have increased in scope. This has been the case in Ecuador (down 1 place to 98th), where protests by the part of the population that feels betrayed by President Lenin Moreno have been accompanied by attacks on journalists that have often made it impossible for them to work. So too in Chile (51st) which has fallen another five places after the previous year's eight place fall.Where violent protests triggered by a hike in Santiago Metro fares led to a wave of agression and targeted attacks against journalists and media outlets throughout the country. Bolivia (down 1 at 114th) also saw many cases of harassment and attacks on journalists during demonstrations throughout the election campaign. Even if it continues to be one of the region's better behaved countries, Argentina (64th) has fallen seven places in the 2020 Index. In Brazil (107th), The effects of Jair Bolsonaro's installation as president in January 2019 is the chief reason why the country has fallen two places for the second year running. Feeding a climate of hate and mistrust towards news providers and journalists are increasingly vulnerable in this fraught environment and are constantly attacked by hate groups and Bolsonaro supporters, especially on social media. In Venezuela (147th), president Maduro's authoriatarianism continues to grow and his government's constant persecution of the independent press takes many forms, including arbitrary arrests, violence by police and intelligence officers, depriving critical radio and TV stations of broadcast frequencies, internet cuts, and blocking of social media, and expulsion for foreign journalists. Cuba continues to be Latin America's worst ranked country. The Cuban regime maintains its near total monopoly of news and information, and the constitution continues to ban privately-owned media. Arrests and imprisonment of troublesome journalists increased in 2019. In the last year, more attacks and threats against journalists by some Latin American governments have emerged. High impunity rates for crimes against journalists, restrictions to access public information, attacks during the coverage of public events, intimidation, threats and anti-journalist social media campaigns, have generated a hostile environment for the press from several countries in the region. More than 20 journalists and media workers were killed in Latin America in 2020 according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Mexico remains one of the deadliest countries for journalists in the world. Journalists have faced government intimidation and discrediting campaigns in Brazil, Guatemala and Venezuela. The Brazilian National Federation of Journalists registered 428 attacks on journalists and the press. Defamation suits have also been used in an attempt to censor journalists in several countries, including Argentina, Venezuela, and Panama. At least 594 journalists from Latin America have died from COVID-19, according to the Press Emblem, with journalists in Brazil, Peru and Mexico being worst hit. In March, President Bolsonaro suspended deadlines for government agencies to respond to public information requests during the COVID-19 emergency and prevented citizens from appealing declined requests. The Supreme Court overturned these orders. Since taking office, President Bolsonaro, political allies, and government officials have lashed out at reporters more than 400 times, according to Article 19. The government asked the Federal Police to investigate alleged defamation by two journalists and a cartoonist who criticized the president. The Justice Ministry prepared confidential reports on almost 600 police officers and three academics it identified as "antifascists." The Supreme Court ordered the ministry to stop collecting information about people exercising their rights to freedom of expression and associate. Brazil's Senate passed a "fake news" bill that threatens the right to privacy and free speech. It was pending in the Chamber of Deputies at time of writing. At least seven journalists working were killed in Latin America in reprisal for their work and two more while on a dangerous assignment, according to an annual report from the Committee to Protect Journalists. This represents one third of all journalists murdered globally for their work. Natalie Southwick, program coordinator for Latin America, told. "Local reporters covering politics, crime and corruption face some of the greatest risk, with criminal groups responsible for the majority of murders. Sadly, the common thread across the region is impunity. At least four journalists were targeted and killed in Mexico in 2020, additionally, reporter Israel Rangel was shot in Salamanca while reporting on the discovery of human remains. CPJ defines his death as occurring on a "dangerous assignment." At least two journalists were killed in Honduras for their work. TV host German Vallecillo and freelance journalist Luis Almendares while broadcasting via Facebook live. In Paraguay, Brazilian journalist Lourenço veras, editor of Porã News, was killed near the border of the two countries. Journalist Leonardo Pinheiro was killed while conducting an interview in the state of Rio de Janeiro on May 13th and another Brazilian journalist Edney Menezes was killed in his car in the state of Mato Grosso on November 15th.
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