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Articles - Americas

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Colombia

Bomb attack targets former minister

A radio talk show host who used to be a government minister was injured in a bombing in Bogotá shortly after he criticised a constitutional amendment that would open the doors to peace talks with rebel groups, report the Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP) and other IFEX members. There has been no bombing in the capital since 2003.

Canada

Canada once again gets failing grade in free expression

In the free expression world, Canada receives failing grades for the way it muzzles its scientists and for its archaic access to information laws, says Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE).

Mexico

Another investigative journalist killed in Veracruz

A woman investigative journalist working for a prominent national news magazine was found beaten and strangled to death in her home in the Veracruz state capital of Xalapa on 28 April, report ARTICLE 19, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Press Institute (IPI) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Peru

Lawyer killed while investigating murder of journalist

A district attorney investigating the killing of Peruvian journalist Pedro Flores Silva in 2011 was shot to death last week, reports the Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS).

Cuba / Spain

Dissident journalist takes own life after year in exile

A dissident Cuban journalist who was released last year and forced into exile has committed suicide, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Venezuela

Court bans media from reporting on water pollution claims

A Venezuelan court has ruled that the press cannot report on water contamination issues without using government-approved information, report the Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS-Venezuela), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Mexico

State responsible for most attacks on press, says ARTICLE 19 report

Mexico, 2011: 172 attacks on press freedom, including nine journalists and two media workers killed, two disappeared, and eight media outlets bombed. Most shockingly, the security forces and other state authorities were behind 40 percent of the attacks, while organised crime only accounted for 13 percent of cases.

Mexico

In landmark decision, Senate says attacks on journalists to be federal crimes

The Mexican Senate has finally approved a constitutional amendment that will enable federal authorities to investigate and prosecute certain attacks on the press and calls on authorities to end the widespread impunity for crimes against journalists, report ARTICLE 19, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

Ecuador

Correa's pardon won't change alarming free expression situation, say IFEX members

Amid mounting international condemnation, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said he would pardon a former editor and three owners of "El Universo", who were fined US$40 million and sentenced to three years in prison in a libel case, report the Andean Foundation for Media Observation & Study (Fundamedios). While IFEX members welcomed the gesture, some remained concerned for Ecuador's alarming free expression situation.

Ecuador

American human rights commission orders suspension of sentence against "El Universo"

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has asked Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa to suspend the sentence in a criminal libel case against newspaper "El Universo" until a hearing between the two parties can be held next month, report the Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of PEN International and news reports.

Canada

Government muzzles its scientists, says Canadian Journalists for Free Expression

The Canadian government "muzzles" government scientists and doesn't allow journalists timely access to them, says IFEX member Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE).

Ecuador

Correa's defamation win exposes country's "disturbing" free expression situation

Two Ecuadoran journalists have been ordered to pay President Rafael Correa US$2 million in moral damages - the latest in a string of incidents that point to a "disturbing" and "deteriorating" free expression situation in Ecuador under President Rafael Correa, says IFEX-ALC, an alliance of 16 IFEX members in Latin America and the Caribbean. The ruling does not look good for the daily "El Universo", whose appeal in a multimillion dollar defamation case is being heard today.

Brazil

Two journalists killed in a week

A Brazilian journalist who reported on corruption was shot to death on Sunday night near the Paraguayan border in what police say was a possible contract killing, reports IFEX's member in Brazil the Associação Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo (ABRAJI) as well as other IFEX members. It was the second murder of a Brazilian journalist in less than week, says ABRAJI.

Americas

OAS adopts proposals that could weaken role of free expression special rapporteur

The Organization of American States (OAS) Permanent Council adopted the proposals of a working group that could be used to threaten the authority of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, report IFEX's Latin American and Caribbean group (IFEX-ALC), the International Press Institute (IPI) and other IFEX members.

Americas

Free expression special rapporteur under attack

At the Washington-based Organization of American States, Ecuador has put forward proposals that in effect could severely weaken or kill the OAS Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, which would be "a step backwards for free expression in the region," says IFEX member in Colombia the Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP). IFEX's Latin American and Caribbean group (IFEX-ALC), an alliance of 16 IFEX members based in the region, has protested the move.

Honduras

Soldiers assault protesters calling for justice for slain journalists

A group of mostly women journalists calling for justice for slain reporters were violently suppressed by police with batons and tear gas in Honduras's capital last week, reports IFEX's member in Honduras the Comité por la Libre Expresión (C-Libre), as well as Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Two members of C-Libre, Tirzia Gáleas y Cesar Villeda, who were at the demonstration as observers, were also assaulted.

Americas / Awards and other opportunities

IAPA seeks nominations of human rights journalists and press freedom advocates

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) is calling on news agencies and journalists to send in articles and video and audio clips that portray excellence in human rights reporting, among 11 other categories.

Africa / Mexico / Russia

Recent advancements in criminal defamation laws in Africa, Mexico offset by setbacks in Russia

IFEX members have noted some significant advancements in the criminal defamation field these past weeks: the President of Niger has become the first head of state to endorse the Declaration of Table Mountain, which calls for repeal of criminal defamation and insult laws in Africa, and Mexico's Senate has unanimously approved to decriminalise slander and libel. But although Russia recently amended its defamation legislation, critics say it did not go far enough.

Mexico

Drug gangs continue hunt for anonymous netizens with barbaric beheading

The decapitated body of someone first believed to be the moderator of an online forum that reported on the activities of the Zetas drug gang was found in Nuevo Laredo province on 9 November, report the Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of International PEN, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Ecuador

Propaganda campaign against independent media and rights organisation intensifies

As government officials were interrupting various news programmes attempting to discredit FUNDAMEDIOS, the IFEX member in Ecuador, the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) was wrapping up a press freedom mission that concluded independent media workers in the country face a general "climate of hostility." Even more alarming are death threats sent to staff of the Andean Foundation for Media Observation & Study (FUNDAMEDIOS) at the same time.

Brazil

Journalist killed in crossfire while covering a police operation

A journalist was killed in the crossfire between police and a drug gang while accompanying an early morning police operation, report the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (ABRAJI), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Brazil

New FOI law lauded by IFEX groups as boon to transparency and democracy

It took eight years since its initial proposal but Brazil's Senate has passed a comprehensive Freedom of Information (FOI) Law that goes a long way to promoting government transparency and the democratic participation of citizens and the media, report the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (ABRAJI), ARTICLE 19 and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Argentina

"Dirty War" generals sentenced, multiple radio stations attacked

Over the past two months, numerous radio stations have been violently attacked in separate incidents and through various means - from arson, to armed hold-ups, to vandalism - pointing to systematic efforts to censor the airwaves across Argentina, report the Argentine Journalism Forum (FOPEA), Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Meanwhile, FOPEA expresses "profound satisfaction" after the killers of a journalist in 1977 were finally brought to justice.

Mexico

Draw attention to murdered writers by holding your own Day of the Dead event

Join PEN International in honouring fallen writers on Mexico's national Day of the Dead on 2 November. On Day of the Dead, an annual holiday in Mexico, people pay tribute to late friends and family members through numerous rites, including creating altars, visiting gravesites and cooking their deceased loved ones' favourite foods.

United States

Journalists covering Occupy Wall Street detained, beaten and pepper sprayed

With the New York Police Department (NYPD) having the right to decide who does and who does not qualify as a journalist, at least three reporters have been arrested and two others assaulted while covering the Occupy Wall Street protests, says Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Venezuela

Government rejects UPR recommendations on free expression

On 11 October, the Venezuelan government rejected all requests to improve aspects of freedom of expression recommended by IFEX members and included in the final report of the United Nations Human Rights Council during the 12th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva.

Venezuela

Follow @IFEXALC at the UN's Universal Periodic Review of Venezuela

IFEX's contingent of 17 Latin American and Caribbean (ALC) freedom of expression organisations is calling on supporters to tune in to their coverage of the United Nation Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Venezuela by reading IFEX-ALC's live blog and following @IFEXALC on Twitter and encouraging others to do the same.

Mexico

News editor beheaded for condemning drug gangs on social media

At a time when the murderous spree of drug cartels in Mexico seemed it couldn't get any more horrific, the decapitated body of María Elizabeth Macías, news editor of "Primera Hora" was found on 24 September, report the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Adding to the atmosphere of despair, another journalist is missing, according to IAPA and RSF.

Ecuador

Correa's hypocrisy on display amid assault on media

Shortly after a provincial court in Guayas, Ecuador, upheld a bankrupting US$40 million fine and three-year jail sentences for three "El Universo" newspaper directors and one writer, President Rafael Correa insulted his critics during a public speech at Columbia University in New York, report the Andean Foundation for Media Observation & Study (FUNDAMEDIOS), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

North America

Launch of INSI-North America to reduce risks to frontline journalists

The official launch of the International News Safety Institute (INSI) - North America office, which will provide safety training and additional support to North American journalists, will take place in New York on 14 October.

Mexico

Drug cartels target social media users as international community addresses journalists' safety at UN anti-impunity conference

Last week, a young man and woman were found hanging from ropes off a pedestrian bridge in Nuevo Laredo, northern Mexico. Accompanying their lifeless, mutilated bodies were handwritten signs that declared the two were killed for posting denouncements of drug cartel activities on a social network. With few reporters daring to cover Mexico's ongoing drug war for fear of becoming victims themselves, the murderers appear to have a new target: those using social media networks to cover the story, say the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and ARTICLE 19.

Brazil / Honduras / Peru

With three new deaths, Latin America is most dangerous region for journalists, say IFEX members

Three journalists have been killed in the space of a week in Brazil, Honduras and Peru, cementing Latin America's status as the most dangerous region for journalists in 2011 so far, report IFEX members.

Mexico

Two women journalists found strangled in Mexico City

Two women journalists were found dead in a park in eastern Mexico City on 1 September, their bodies naked with their hands and feet tied, with signs of strangulation and at least one gunshot wound, report ARTICLE 19, Centro Nacional de Comunicación Social (CENCOS) and other IFEX members.

Mexico

Kidnapped journalist found dead

Missing Mexican journalist Humberto Millán Salazar was found dead on 25 August with a gunshot wound to the head, report ARTICLE 19, the Centro de Periodismo y Etica Publica (CEPET) and other IFEX members. Millán, a political reporter from Culiacán in Sinaloa state, was kidnapped the day before by armed men, say the members.

Chile

Citizen protests draw attention to media concentration problems, says new RSF report

A surge in citizen unrest in Chile, from students demonstrating against an unfair and expensive school system to miners demanding better working conditions, may help break up the country's media oligopoly inherited from the Pinochet regime, says a new report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Dominican Republic

Critical journalist slain

A critical Dominican journalist was kidnapped by gunmen and found dead hours later on 2 August. As the director of a magazine and host of a television programme, José Agustín Silvestre had accused political figures in the city of La Romana of involvement in drug trafficking, report the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Ecuador

President Correa's critics sent to prison for criminal defamation, fined millions

In a 20 July ruling, an Ecuadorean judge sentenced a journalist and three newspaper executives to prison for three years with a $40 million fine for publishing a column that questioned the appropriateness of an army raid to rescue President Rafael Correa from a demonstration of striking policemen. The criminal conviction of Correa's critics is a major blow to press freedom, violating Ecuador's international human rights obligations, say the Andean Foundation for Media Observation & Study (Fundamedios), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and other IFEX members.

Mexico

Veteran reporter slain


The decapitated body of Mexican journalist Yolanda Ordaz de la Cruz was found on 26 July in Veracruz, report the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), ARTICLE 19 and other IFEX members. A journalist for more than 20 years, Ordaz de la Cruz reported on crime and security issues. IFEX members are calling on the state prosecutor to investigate the case and put in place mechanisms to protect her colleagues.

Honduras

Young radio station manager killed before community radio meeting

Twenty-six-year-old radio manager Nery Jeremias Orellana was riding a motorcycle to work on 14 July in Candelaria, Lempira, near Honduras's border with El Salvador, when he was gunned down by unidentified assailants, report the Committee for Free Expression (C-Libre) and other IFEX members. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the International Press Institute (IPI), he is the third journalist killed possibly as a result of his profession this year in Honduras.

Colombia

Journalist killed in violence-ridden area

Independent journalist Luis Eduardo Gómez, who was also a witness for an investigation into links between politicians and paramilitaries, was gunned down last week in Arboletes, Antioquia, in northwest Colombia, report the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and other IFEX members. He is the first journalist to be killed in Colombia this year, notes the International Press Institute (IPI).

Mexico

Journalist and his family killed amid relentless attacks on press

A journalist who wrote about security and drug trafficking was killed in his home with his wife and photographer son in the eastern port city of Veracruz on 20 June, underscoring Mexico's cycle of violence, report ARTICLE 19, the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and other IFEX members, who are calling on the Mexican government to take "concrete" action.

United States

Justice served in Chauncey Bailey case thanks to journalist collective

Four years ago, U.S. journalist Chauncey Bailey was gunned down on his way to work. Within weeks, local journalists, including a representative from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), came together as the Chauncey Bailey Project to finish his work looking at criminal activity at a local bakery and to investigate his death. On 9 June, victory finally came: the manager and employee of the business were convicted of first-degree murder, report CPJ and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Mexico

Missing journalist found dead; newspaper bombed

Mexican criminal gangs are using a variety of tactics to pressure the press into not reporting their activities, including murdering critical journalists. A journalist who disappeared in March was found buried in a grave in the state of Veracruz on 1 June, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of PEN International. Noel López Olguín was known for criticising local corruption in his articles.

Guatemala / Venezuela

Two journalists killed in one week

Last week, a Guatemalan television journalist who had been repeatedly threatened for his reporting was found dead and a Venezuelan political journalist was gunned down, report the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Canada

CJFE gives Harper government failing grade on access to information

When it comes to access to information, Canada has received an F minus and is positioned last among five leading democracies, says Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) in a new report that is making headlines in the country.

Honduras

Murder of journalist highlights country's status as one of worst for press

A journalist who reported on corruption and local land disputes was gunned down last week in Honduras, the 10th journalist to have been murdered since March 2010, report the Observatorio Latinoamericano para la Libertad de Expresión (OLA) and other IFEX members. In not one case has the murder been solved, accounting for Honduras's status as one of the most dangerous countries for journalists in the world.

Panama

Video hate campaign discredits journalists who disclosed WikiLeaks info

After reporting on WikiLeaks revelations - embarrassing Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli's government - local journalists have been the target of a campaign to sully their reputations in videos posted anonymously on YouTube and through television ads, report the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Peru / Brazil

Journalists killed on World Press Freedom Day

Two journalists were gunned down in the Americas on World Press Freedom Day (3 May), a stark reminder of the dangers journalists face to keep us informed, say the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the International Press Institute (IPI) and other IFEX members.

Bolivia / El Salvador

Journalist found dead in Bolivia; cameraman gunned down in El Salvador

Two journalists were killed in two relatively safe countries in Latin America this past week. A journalist who went missing on 19 April in Bolivia was found dead two days later, report IFEX interim member Asociación Nacional de la Prensa (ANP) and other IFEX members, while a cameraman in El Salvador was gunned down near the capital on Monday, report the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Brazil

Threatened journalist killed

A journalist who had been threatened for his critical coverage of criminal groups and local authorities was shot dead in the northeastern city of Vitória de Santo Antão, Pernambuco, report the Associação Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo (ABRAJI) and other IFEX members.

Cuba

Last jailed journalist released into exile

The last remaining Cuban journalist in prison, Albert Santiago Du Bouchet Hernández, was freed on 7 April and exiled to Spain, report the Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of PEN International, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). This ends "a dark, eight-year-long era in which the island nation was one of the world's worst jailers of the press," at one time jailing nearly 30 independent reporters and writers, says CPJ.

Ecuador

IFEX members urge President to withdraw US$80 million lawsuit against paper

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa is asking for US$80 million in damages from the newspaper "El Universo" and three years in prison for its executives for printing a "slanderous" article, report IFEX interim member Andean Foundation for Media Observation & Study (FUNDAMEDIOS) and IFEX members. The members are urging Correa to withdraw the lawsuit.

Mexico

Media agree to guidelines for covering organised crime

Just moments before two journalists were found dead in the drug-riddled city of Monterrey last week, nearly 50 leading Mexican news organisations agreed on a code for covering drug-related violence and organised crime, report the Centro Nacional de Comunicación Social (CENCOS) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Brazil

Attack on blogger symptom of high level of violence against media

A blogger known for his scathing reporting on government officials and police corruption survived a shooting last week, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). It is just one of many acts of criminal violence targeting Brazilian media, say RSF and the Associação Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo (ABRAJI).

Honduras

Authorities fail to protect journalists despite promises to UN, says IFEX-ALC

Last week in Honduras, a board member of the La Voz de Zacate Grande community radio station was shot in the leg by residents upset about the station's coverage. Police sat idly by. It was just the latest in a string of incidents that highlights the government's failure to investigate attacks on journalists - despite promises it made before the UN's Human Rights Council in November, says IFEX Latin America and Caribbean (IFEX-ALC), an alliance of 17 IFEX members in the region.

Americas / International

Sing for press freedom

There's still time to enter the "Lend your Voice to the Voiceless" contest, with the first round of voting wrapping up on 15 March. Post your video, song or lyrics about crimes against journalists, or vote for your favourite entry. The winner will have their song professionally recorded. Find out more on the Lend Your Voice website, available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Cuba

"Black Spring" journalist released against his wishes

A Cuban journalist who had refused to leave prison until all political prisoners were freed was released against his will last week as the Cuban government continues to free opposition activists and journalists arrested during a notorious crackdown in 2003, report the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the Writers in Prison Committee of PEN International (WiPC) and other IFEX members.

Mexico

Violent attack on news outlet leaves media worker dead

A violent attack on two media companies in Torreón, Mexico, last week has left a TV engineer dead, report the Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and other IFEX members.

Colombia

Threatening pamphlets target media

"Keep supporting the leftist dogs and you will be dead; get out of the city." So reads a pamphlet anonymously left at a radio station in Barrancabermeja, Colombia, in what the Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP) terms is a new method of intimidating the press.

Mexico

Another media worker killed in Ciudad Juárez

A woman who worked as a newspaper distributor in Ciudad Juárez was shot to death on 31 January while driving a vehicle bearing the logo of the media company, reports the Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET).

Panama

Assembly pulls plug on controversial libel bill

A controversial bill that included up to four years of prison for those who "insult" the president or other elected officials was withdrawn by the president of Panama's National Assembly, reports Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The bill had been roundly criticised by IFEX members.

Americas

Knight Center unveils map of access to information in Latin America

Want to expose corruption in Mexico, environmental hazards in Brazil or mismanagement of food supplies in Colombia but don't know where to start? Check out a new interactive map from the Knight Center on access to information and transparency laws in Latin America.

Venezuela

Legal reforms violate free expression

In the final weeks of the outgoing Venezuelan parliament, controlled by President Hugo Chávez, a series of repressive media bills that limit free expression and threaten human rights are being pushed through for approval, report the Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS-Venezuela), the Inter American Press Institute (IAPA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and ARTICLE 19.

United States

Reporters arrested for covering protest against military

A reporter and cameraman for an English-language, Moscow-based TV channel were arrested while covering protests near the Fort Benning military base in Columbus, Georgia, last week, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). A local community radio journalist was also arrested, despite having press credentials, says RSF.

Peru

IAPA welcomes legal reform to combat crimes against journalists

Peru's judiciary has finally created a special jurisdiction to deal with serious crimes committed against journalists, after years of campaigning by the Inter American Press Assocation (IAPA) and the Peruvian Press Council.

Awards / Canada

Canadian Internet pioneer Citizen Lab wins CJFE award

The Citizen Lab, the Toronto-based centre that unearthed one of the largest Internet spying networks, is to be honoured by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE). The lab has won CJFE's 2010 Vox Libera Award, granted annually to a Canadian individual or organisation dedicated to free expression. This year CJFE will also recognise five journalists from Mexico and Cameroon for their fearless reporting.

Americas / Honduras

Government vows to investigate journalist murders thanks to IFEX-ALC

The Honduran authorities have done an about face and have pledged to investigate the murders of nine journalists this year, following international lobbying by IFEX-América Latina y el Caribe (IFEX-ALC), an alliance of 17 IFEX members in the region. It's just one of many free expression commitments the government made following the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Honduras, an evaluation of the country's human rights record by members of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

Mexico

Reporter killed; IFEX members sceptical of government's journalist protection programme

On 5 November, yet another journalist in Mexico was lost to the drug war. At the same time, the government has finally come round to announcing a strategy to protect journalists from death threats from common criminals, drug cartels and even government officials. IFEX members ARTICLE 19, Centro Nacional de Comunicación Social (CENCOS) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have strongly denounced the programme as it stands - having been devised and run entirely by government officials who have little understanding of what it's like to be a journalist operating in a climate of endemic impunity.

Brazil

Popular crime reporter gunned down

A crime reporter who claimed that political candidates were trading drugs for votes in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte was killed by a motorcycle gunman on 18 October , report the Associação Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo (ABRAJI), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Colombia

Indigenous leader and journalist killed

A respected indigenous leader and journalist was shot to death on 14 October in the department of Cauca, Colombia, report the Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). Two men opened fire on Rodolfo Maya Aricape, the secretary of the López Adentro Indigenous Council and a correspondent for Radio Pa´yumat, while he was home with his wife and two daughters.

International / Awards / Cuba

Cuban dissident wins European Parliament's Sakharov Prize

The European Parliament has awarded its Sakharov human rights prize to Guillermo Fariñas Hernandez, the Cuban dissident whose four-month hunger strike ultimately led to the release of numerous political prisoners in Cuba, report Freedom House, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Human Rights Watch.

Mexico

IFEX members step up fight to protect journalists

Last month, when a photographer was shot dead in the drug-addled city of Ciudad Juárez, his newspaper ran a front-page editorial offering to compromise its drug coverage in an effort to keep its journalists alive. It was a stunning example of self-censorship, but unfortunately, not an isolated one. In response, IFEX members in recent weeks have gotten an audience with the President, used YouTube to campaign, and, united, have taken matters into their own hands to address the security needs of Mexican journalists.

Bolivia

Journalists protest against controversial anti-racism law

Bolivia's just-passed law against racism and discrimination has spawned a new outbreak of journalist protests, from public demos to hunger strikes. Bolivia's National Press Association (ANP), an IFEX interim member, argues that the law threatens press freedom and imposes censorship because it gives the government the power to shut down media outlets or throw journalists in jail simply for writing about racism.

Panama

Uproar over criminal defamation conviction despite presidential pardon

Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli's pardon last week of two TV journalists sentenced to jail for defaming officials does not solve the underlying problem of Panama still having criminal defamation laws, say the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and other IFEX members.

Ecuador

Police mutiny leads to censorship, injured journalists

As hundreds of soldiers and police in Ecuador took over police barracks and set up road blocks across the country on 30 September to protest benefit cuts, the authorities ordered local radio and television stations to carry state news broadcasts, report the Andean Foundation for Media Observation & Study (FUNDAMEDIOS), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). At least 20 journalists were injured in the fray.

Ecuador

Journalist and husband were tortured, say autopsies

Autopsies conducted on the bodies of an Ecuadorian journalist and her husband show the couple was tortured before they were killed, reports FUNDAMEDIOS.

Mexico

Journalist slain in Ciudad Juárez, newspaper makes plea to drug cartel

A photographer was shot dead in the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juárez on 16 September, report the Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and other IFEX members. The brazen attack occurred in a mall parking lot and also injured another journalist. In response, the journalists' newspaper published an editorial openly offering to compromise its coverage in order to keep its journalists alive. Meanwhile, violence has escalated in other regions, says the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), with reports of a breakdown in security for journalists and media outlets in Zacatecas.

Mexico

CPJ report says violence against the press is a national crisis

A justice system controlled by criminals has created an environment of pervasive self-censorship with news outlets abandoning investigative reporting and basic daily coverage of crime and corruption in Mexico, says a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). "Silence or Death in Mexico's Press" says systemic impunity has become entrenched at the state and local levels.

Argentina

President Kirchner lunges for control of two leading newspapers; journalist slain

Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has accused two leading newspapers of colluding with the military regime more than 30 years ago, and is now attempting to control the production and sale of newsprint, report the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). There is a long history of press freedom feuds in Argentina. But the murder of journalists is rare. A Bolivian journalist who lived and worked in a shanty town in Buenos Aires was stabbed to death on 4 September, report the Foro de Periodismo Argentino (FOPEA) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Honduras

Ninth journalist slain in 2010

A journalist was found shot to death on a rural road in northern Honduras on 24 August, report the Comité por la Libre Expresión (C-Libre), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and other IFEX members. Journalist Israel Zelaya Díaz is the ninth journalist killed this year since President Porfirio Lobo assumed power in January. The culture of impunity that has arisen under Lobo is silencing critical journalists, says a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Mexico

Drug cartels terrorise media with car bombs and grenades

A car bomb exploded outside the offices of Mexico's largest media organisation, Televisa, on 27 August, days after it reported that 72 Central and South American migrants were killed by drug traffickers in the same region, report the Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and other IFEX members. Two weeks ago, explosives ripped through facilities owned by the same media conglomerate in Tamaulipas and Nuevo León states.

United States

President Obama signs law blocking "libel tourism" in US courts

President Barack Obama recently signed new legislation that will protect journalists, authors and publishers from becoming victims of defamation lawsuits filed in countries with harsh libel laws that discourage critical media, reports Freedom House. The practice of filing libel lawsuits in foreign countries with weak libel protections is called "libel tourism." Countries like England continue to permit this practice with foreign plaintiffs bringing libel actions against foreign defendants in British courts, regardless of where the alleged offense occurred.

Colombia

FLIP releases innovative multimedia report on self-censorship

The Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) has launched a dynamic multimedia report breaking down the causes and consequences of self-censorship in Colombia. Restrictions on access to information, government-controlled advertising and sponsorship, and armed conflict have contributed to self-censorship, says the report (in Spanish only.) "Autocensura y prácticas periodísticas regionales" is a distillation of workshops with 140 journalists and 63 other sources, including police, governors and regional ombudsmen, throughout the country, offering video interviews, cartoons, profiles of journalists, and guides for protecting journalists, among other resources.

Suriname

President responsible for murder of journalists and activists

In a breathtaking case of impunity, Desi Bouterse was sworn in as President of Suriname on 12 August despite being charged with the murders of five journalists in 1982 while he was dictator, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Mexico

Journalists take to the streets demanding protection after recent kidnappings

The abduction of four Mexican journalists in Durango State illuminates how local governments are corrupted by organised crime as well as the dangers for journalists attempting to work under the control of drug traffickers, report the Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and other IFEX members. This case sparked an unprecedented show of solidarity and outrage against the kidnapping and killing of journalists. Journalists from all over the country and local and international IFEX members joined forces in protests attended by thousands over the weekend, demanding the right to inform, the right to know.

Americas

IAPA announces winners of 2010 Awards for Excellence in Journalism

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) announced on 20 July the winners of the annual awards encouraging excellence in journalism and the defense of freedom of expression throughout the Americas. This year, the Grand Prize for Press Freedom is being given to Guillermo Zuloaga, president of the Globovisión television network in Venezuela.

Cuba

Nine dissidents freed from prison, but scores remain behind bars

President Raúl Castro's government has agreed to release 52 of the 75 Cuban journalists, writers, activists, librarians and members of opposition political parties jailed in a major crackdown on dissent in 2003, known as the Black Spring. Eight journalists, who spent more than seven years in prison for their independent reporting, and another dissident arrived in Spain on 13 and 14 July in the first wave of freed political prisoners. IFEX members are concerned that freed dissidents must leave Cuba as a precondition of their release.

Mexico

Five journalists and media workers killed in two weeks

A Mexican radio journalist was abducted and found dead in a car last week, and in another part of the country, a former cameraman was shot dead as he sat in his car waiting for his girlfriend, report the Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The murders come after three journalists were killed in two other states within the same two weeks. As the violence escalates, journalists live in constant fear of being kidnapped, tortured and murdered.

Colombia / United States

Journalist Hollman Morris permanently barred from entering the US

Prominent Colombian journalist Hollman Morris has been denied a visa to the US based on a "terrorist activities" provision of the Patriot Act, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the PEN American Center, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE). IFEX members are urging the US to lift the travel ban.

Mexico

Three journalists killed in two separate attacks

Three journalists have been killed in Mexico, including a husband and wife who were brazenly shot in an Internet cafe, and an editor known for his crime reporting in a different state, according to local and international IFEX members. The deaths followed three separate incidents in Coahuila state in which gunmen riddled the buildings of two media outlets with bullets and fired a grenade at another.

Canada

Journalists and protesters assaulted and detained during massive police clampdown at G20

As thousands came out to demonstrate last weekend at the G20 summit held in Toronto, Canada, a significant expansion of police powers led to arbitrary searches and mass arrests, and numerous journalists beaten and detained as they attempted to do their jobs. According to Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE), legitimate public protest was suppressed with the use of excessive force against peaceful demonstrators in designated free speech zones.

Colombia

FLIP report examines press freedom during elections

The Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) has released a new report detailing the press freedom situation in Colombia during the presidential electoral process in March and June. Relying on a network of journalists to provide first-hand information, FLIP was able to monitor the transparency of elections.

Honduras

Broadcast journalist slain

A Honduran television journalist who covered corruption and environmental issues was gunned down in eastern Honduras on 14 June, report the Comité por la Libre Expresión (C-Libre), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and other IFEX members.

Venezuela

Journalists imprisoned in their own homes and assaulted

Venezuelan journalists are facing an array of attacks - Molotov cocktails, President Hugo Chávez's verbal assaults on outspoken media, house arrest and physical assault - simply for doing their jobs.

Colombia

Journalists under surveillance by intelligence forces

A witch-hunt of journalists and activists critical of the government during outgoing Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's two terms in power has been detailed in a report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). "Chuzadas: Colombian media targeted by intelligence services" was released three days before presidential elections on 30 May after an RSF delegation visited Colombia from 16 to 20 May. At the same time, a delegation of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters - Latin America and the Caribbean (AMARC-ALC) travelled to Colombia to determine the state of free expression and community radio.

Venezuela

Leading suspect in murder of journalist given 25 years

A former police officer who was the leading suspect in the 2009 murder of Venezuelan journalist Orel Sambrano was sentenced to 25 years in prison last week, report the Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). According to the IFEX members, on 18 May Rafael Segundo Pérez, a former Carabobo police sergeant, was given 25 years on conspiracy charges and is the first person to be convicted for Sambrano's murder.

Mexico

Human rights defenders killed on mission; journalists attacked

A convoy of more than 40 international and local human rights defenders, activists and journalists were ambushed by gunmen in Mexico on 27 April in the town of San Juan Copala, Oaxaca state, report the National Center for Social Communication (CENCOS), ARTICLE 19, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Two rights defenders were killed.

Americas

World Press Freedom Day in the Americas

Honouring the memory of fallen Latin American journalists, 26 murdered and 12 disappeared in the last 12 months, the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) recognised World Press Freedom Day by launching an extensive online degree course designed to prevent attacks against journalists. "The Extent of Organised Crime: The Practice of Journalism in the Face of Violence," is being offered in conjunction with the Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM). IAPA continues to talk to editors in Mexico to build solidarity among news media in order to challenge the government to take action to protect press freedom. This week, IAPA presented two new cases involving journalists murdered in Brazil to the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR). http://www.ifex.org/americas/2010/05/03/iapa_wpfd/

Honduras

IAPA calls for signatures to petition as another journalist is murdered

A Honduran journalist was shot in the head by an assailant waiting for him after he finished anchoring a show at a local television station, report the Comité por la Libre Expresión (C-Libre), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and other IFEX members. He is the seventh journalist killed this year. IAPA is calling on hundreds of thousands of newspaper readers to sign a letter addressed to the president of Honduras, Porfirio Lobo Sosa, asking him to set up legal mechanisms to confront violence against journalists and the impunity linked to these crimes.

Peru

Journalists targeted for doing their job

Peruvian journalists are being censored, stabbed, beaten unconscious, and threatened with prison terms, for covering corruption, for criticising local politicians, and for shedding light on protests and social injustice, report the Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS) and the Observatorio Latinoamericano para la Libertad de Expresión (OLA).

Mexico

More journalists abducted and murdered

A Mexican journalist who reported on government policy, environmental issues and organised crime was abducted on 6 April, report the Centro Nacional de Comunicación Social (CENCOS), ARTICLE 19 and other IFEX members. In the same week, another journalist was killed, report the International Press Institute (IPI), Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of International PEN and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Ecuador

Journalist punished with three-year prison term for defamation; others censored

Government efforts to control the media environment in Ecuador are playing out in brutal ways. An Ecuadorian journalist was sentenced to three years in prison and fined US$10,000 on 26 March for targeting a government official in an opinion editorial, report the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and other IFEX members. Meanwhile, ARTICLE 19 and Fundamedios have reported on freedom of expression restrictions in a draft bill on media regulation under consideration by Congress. Also, the editor of a state-run newspaper was fired for challenging the state's editorial meddling, reports the Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS).

Honduras

Five journalists killed in one month

In a highway ambush, two journalists were shot to death in eastern Honduras on 26 March, report the Comité por la Libre Expresión (C-Libre), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), ARTICLE 19 and other IFEX members. This brings the number of journalists murdered in Honduras this year to five; all killed this past month.

Americas

IFEX members in Latin America and the Caribbean join forces to monitor free expression violations

Organisations of the Regional Alliance of IFEX members in Latin America and the Caribbean met in Lima, Peru, last week to develop a standardised mechanism that would monitor free expression threats in the region and accurately capture the nature and scale of these attacks.

Caribbean

Association of Caribbean Media Workers launches elections handbook

Journalists at a training workshop held in March in Trinidad and Tobago were trained by the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) in monitoring media during elections. They received a copy of the ACM's "Elections Handbook for Caribbean Journalists", which aims to improve journalistic performance in the coverage of elections. Download the handbook at: http://www.acmediaworkers.com/archive/publications/20090611-ElectionHandbook.pdf

Colombia

Editor slain after receiving threats

After receiving threats for years for reporting on links between local politicians, landowners and right-wing paramilitary groups, a 50-year-old Colombian journalist was shot to death on 19 March, report the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Venezuela

Media worker kidnapped; protest criminalised

Venezuelan police fired tear gas at demonstrators and detained journalists covering protests in Aragua State, and a news editor was kidnapped in another part of the country, reports Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS). And according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), President Hugo Chávez continues to call for greater Internet regulation.

Mexico

Eight journalists abducted, two killed

In Mexico, information can be fatal. Eight journalists were abducted in separate episodes between 18 February and 3 March, report the Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET), Inter American Press Association (IAPA), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Three journalists were later released; one of them died as a result of being tortured. Mexican journalists in newsrooms remain silent about the kidnappings for fear of reprisals from drug traffickers. And in another part of the country also caught in the terror of drug cartels, another journalist was slain on 12 March.

Honduras

Two more journalists slain

Three Honduran journalists have been killed in deadly attacks this month. A radio journalist was shot and killed driving home on 11 March, report the Committee for Free Expression (C-Libre), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). And on 16 March the news editor of a television station was riddled with bullets while driving, reports C-Libre, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and other IFEX members. The recent assassinations come after a journalist was murdered on 1 March.

Honduras

One journalist murdered, another seriously injured in attack

A Honduran journalist was shot dead in an attack that also injured another journalist on 1 March, report the Committee for Free Expression (C-Libre) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Mexico

Public officials behind crimes against journalists

Mexico is the deadliest country in the Americas for journalists trying to do their job. Organised crime is often perceived as being predominantly behind attacks on the press, but a new report by ARTICLE 19 and the National Center for Social Communication (CENCOS) points to public officials as the main perpetrators. And there is a movement to challenge this culture of impunity with newspaper editors and journalists joining forces to urge the government to take action, reports the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

Costa Rica

Prison terms removed from press law

In a press freedom victory, a Costa Rican court recently reformed a press law by eliminating a clause that imposed prison terms of up to 120 days for defamation in print, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Colombia

FLIP report highlights illegal espionage as a major threat to press freedom

Illegal espionage is one of the most serious threats to press freedom in Colombia, says the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) in their 2009 report: "Interceptaciones y seguimientos ilegales: grave intimidación al periodismo colombiano" (Illegal wiretapping and monitoring: The severe intimidation of Colombian journalism).

Brazil

Radio studio destroyed in arson attack

A Brazilian radio station critical of local authorities had its studio burned down by two armed men on 8 February, report the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (ABRAJI) and ARTICLE 19.

Honduras

Pluralism and press freedom must be restored, says mission

Five IFEX members and two other organisations are calling for dialogue between the Honduran media, human rights groups and civil society in the country in order to rebuild a democratic environment. The seven organisations have released a report on the state of press freedom in Honduras since the 28 June 2009 coup d'état after a joint fact-finding mission in November 2009.

Mexico

Editor slain

A Mexican editor was shot in the face and killed on 29 January, report the Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and other IFEX members.

Canada

Guardians of the Winter Olympics restrict free expression

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) has launched a campaign to monitor free expression violations related to the Winter Olympics. CJFE's Olympic Watch is highlighting recent incidents where the protection of the Olympic brand has led to threats to free expression.

United States

U.S. Secretary of State defends unfettered access to the Internet

In a historic speech on Internet freedom last week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared her support for freedom of expression and acknowledged that unrestricted access to the Internet is integral to human rights, economic development and political stability, report Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Venezuela

TV stations shut down for refusing to air President's speeches

The Venezuelan government ordered cable networks to stop carrying six TV stations on 24 January after the stations failed to air speeches by President Hugo Chávez, report IFEX members. Protests have erupted over the recent press freedom violations.

Haiti

Survivors exhausted and traumatised; media crippled

Not only did the devastating earthquake on 12 January in Haiti leave survivors with no food, no water, no shelter and no place to bury the dead, but it also left them with little or no information, report IFEX members. The media have also suffered great losses at a time when people urgently need aid information.

Mexico

Body of young radio journalist found

The body of a radio journalist was found on 16 January, 17 days after he was kidnapped, report the Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET), the International Press Institute (IPI) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Mexico

Kidnapped reporter murdered

A Mexican reporter was found dead on 8 January, a day after he was kidnapped, report the Centro Nacional de Comunicadión Social (CENCOS), Observatorio Latinoamericano para la Libertad de Expresión (OLA) and other IFEX members.

Mexico

Editor killed; reporter kidnapped

A Mexican journalist who wrote about corruption in local politics was murdered on 22 December 2009, report the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the Observatorio Latinoamericano para la Libertad de Expresión (OLA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and other IFEX members. The journalist's newspaper had received death threats in recent months and its printing press was fire bombed last November, says CPJ.

Americas

IAPA spearheads impunity project; journalists targeted across the region

Newspaper readers across the Americas are invited to join the Inter American Press Association (IAPA)'s campaign to demand justice in the cases of murdered journalists. A growing list of newspapers is participating in this online banner campaign to focus attention on killings that go unpunished in the region. Just this past week, several journalists and their families have been fatally targeted in three countries.

Honduras

Rights activist gunned down

A human rights activist was shot and killed in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, on 13 December, report the Comité por la Libre Expressión (C-Libre) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Americas

IAPA calls for entries for 2010 journalism contest

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) is calling for entries for its 2010 Awards for Excellence in Journalism contest. Several awards are given to the best news coverage created and produced by journalists in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, for published works in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Bolivia

Journalists attacked; media freedom deteriorates

Press freedom has deteriorated in Bolivia since President Evo Morales came to power in 2005; his insults against the media are often followed up with supporters assaulting journalists, alleges the International Press Institute (IPI). Morales's re-election on 6 December means opposition critics and journalists will continue to be under threat, reports IPI.

Mexico

Journalist's murder linked to reporting on environment

A Mexican journalist was found dead in his home in Jalisco State on 24 November; his hands tied with a cable, his body wrapped in a blanket, reports Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the International Press Institute (IPI).

Honduras

Rights violations under de facto regime

In a new report, the Comité por la Libre Expresión (C-Libre) has recorded 127 cases of violations against freedom of expression since the Honduran de facto government seized power in June.

Honduras

Media faces grenade attacks and more soldiers in the streets

About 10 grenades have been lobbed at media outlets in Honduras since the crisis began this summer, says the International Press Institute (IPI). Recently, a grenade was flung into the offices of a popular Honduran radio station on 5 November, injuring two people and damaging the broadcast booth. The device exploded on the roof of Radio HRN, Honduras's oldest station, in the capital, Tegucigalpa.

Mexico

Committee to protect press freedom dissolved; journalist slain

A special government committee designed to combat crimes against Mexican journalists and news media has been disbanded, reports the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). Underscoring the urgent need for such a panel is the murder of yet another journalist in Mexico on 2 November, report the Centre for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET) and other IFEX members.

Guatemala

Journalists under threat from crime groups

Drug traffickers are on the hunt for journalists in Guatemala for reporting on the killing of three people, presumably by members of crime groups, reports Centro de Reportes Informativos sobre Guatemala (CERIGUA).

United States

Government reading over citizen's shoulders

The USA Patriot Amendments Act of 2009 introduced on 20 October prohibits the U.S. government from carrying out searches to monitor its citizens' choice of books from libraries and bookstores, reports the Pen American Center, a member of the Campaign for Reader Privacy.

Argentina

Controversial new broadcast law

A new broadcast law passed on 10 October in Argentina has given the government wide discretionary powers to control the press, reports the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the Argentine Journalism Forum (FOPEA). But the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) applauds the new legislation as a guarantee of diversity and pluralism.

Honduras

Civil liberties suspended in state of emergency

A state of emergency was declared by the de facto government in Honduras on 26 September, suspending constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression, freedom of movement and freedom of assembly for 45 days, report the Comité por la Libre Expresión (C-Libre) and IFEX members. Harassment of the media continues as overall conditions for journalistic work greatly deteriorate.

Mexico

Local crime critic slain

As the war between brutal drug cartels and militant authorities continues to unfold in Mexico, journalists who refuse to engage in self-censorship pay with their lives. In the most recent tragedy, a radio journalist was shot to death inside the station where he worked on 23 September, report the Centre for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and other IFEX members.

Colombia

Reporter shot dead riding his motorcycle

A Colombian journalist was shot four times and killed on 22 September while riding his motorcycle to cover a story, report the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) and other IFEX members.

Cuba

A blogging revolution

Blogging flourishes in Cuba as a new generation writes critically about social and economic issues, leaving behind a generation of leaders over 70 who do not fully understand the phenomenon, says a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

El Salvador

Photojournalist/documentary filmmaker killed

A filmmaker who spent years documenting El Salvador's most violent gangs was shot dead last week, say the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Press Institute (IPI) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Mexico

Second investigator in journalist's murder case killed

Last November in Ciudad Juárez, Mexican crime journalist Armando Rodríguez was killed in front of his daughter on the way to school. In July, the federal investigator who was leading the Rodríguez case was gunned down, and less than a month later, his replacement suffered the same fate, say Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Honduras

Another round of violence against the media post-coup

Nearly two months after Honduras's left-leaning president Manuel Zelaya was kidnapped from the presidential palace and expelled from the country, journalists and activists continue to pay the price, say the Comité por la Libre Expresión (C-Libre), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and other IFEX members.

Colombia

Ten years on, IAPA asks authorities for justice in Garzón murder

Ten years since the murder of popular Colombian journalist Jaime Garzón, the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) is calling on the authorities to put "greater effort" into solving the case.

Venezuela

Chávez's war on media continues, say IFEX members

The Venezuelan authorities have revoked the broadcast licences of 34 private radio and TV stations and proposed new media laws that would expand pro-government media and suppress dissent, say Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS), the Inter American Press Association (IPYS), Observatorio Latinoamericano para la Libertad de Expresión (OLA) and other IFEX members.

Mexico

Journalist murdered in gruesome fashion in Guerrero

Mexican authorities have found the battered body of a journalist near the southwestern resort city of Acapulco, report Centro Nacional de Comunicación Social (CENCOS), el Centro de Periodismo y Ética Pública (CEPET), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), ARTICLE 19 and other IFEX members. They call on the Mexican authorities to thoroughly investigate the killing, and to put an end to the ongoing violence against Mexican journalists.

North Korea / United States

Bill Clinton returns to U.S. with pardoned journalists

IFEX members the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Press Institute (IPI) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomed last week's release of U.S. journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling, who were jailed since March in North Korea. Following rare talks with reclusive leader Kim Jong-il, who pardoned the women, former U.S. President Bill Clinton brought the journalists home on 5 August.

Mexico

Two journalists killed; radio station raided

Two Mexican journalists were murdered last week, with motives still unknown, report the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN (WiPC) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Honduras

Press freedom violations continue post-coup

Amid a continuing climate of media harassment after the coup, a correspondent for Radio América was killed by an unidentified gunman on 3 July in northern Honduras, report Comité por la Libre Expresión (C-Libre), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Wihout Borders (RSF). Although the killing may not be linked to the crisis, press freedom continues to suffer in the coup's aftermath, say the members.

Nicaragua

Nicaragua at war with media, says CPJ report

How do you use the media to maintain an iron grip on your country? If you are Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, you bypass the independent media, defining them as enemies and moving aggressively to obstruct them, says a special report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Americas

Access to information action plan in force in Americas

Free expression advocates in the Americas have some cause to celebrate: access to information laws are now on the books in half of the countries in the region, while in almost all of the rest draft bills are under discussion or are just moments away from being passed into law.

Honduras

Free expression in jeopardy following coup

Following the ousting of President Manuel Zelaya on 28 June, the new authorities have harassed and briefly detained journalists, interfered with several broadcast media outlets and imposed a 48-hour curfew, putting free expression at risk, say IFEX member in Honduras Comité por la Libre Expresíon (C-Libre), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and other IFEX members.

Colombia

Outspoken journalist gunned down

A journalist who is also a local community leader was killed in southern Colombia last month, report the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

North Korea / United States

U.S. journalists sentenced to 12 years hard labour

U.S. journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling have been sentenced to 12 years of hard labour in North Korea after a closed-door trial from 4 to 8 June, report the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the International Press Institute (IPI) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Guatemala

Journalist killed by unidentified assailant

TV reporter Marco Antonio Estrada was shot down in Chiquimula, Guatemala just as he was stepping off his motorcycle on 8 June, report the Journalists' Observatory of the Centro de Reportes Informativos sobre Guatemala (CERIGUA), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Mexico

Authorities don't see death threats as crimes

Lydia Cacho, an investigative journalist in Mexico who exposed a paedophilia network involving businessmen and government officials in her book, is facing a new round of death threats and surveillance.

Venezuela

Chávez ratchets up threats against media

President Hugo Chávez has stepped up his ongoing bullying campaign against critical media in the country. This time, he's demanded officials either take action against the media that "poison" Venezuela or resign.

Mexico

Crime reporter found dead in Durango

The body of a journalist who covered the police beat in northern Mexico was found on 26 May, a day after he was abducted from his home, report Centro Nacional de Comunicación (CENCOS), the Center of Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and other IFEX members.

Colombia

FLIP founder leaves paper over political differences

One of the founding members of the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) has announced that he has been made to leave his paper because of a difference of political views, FLIP reports.

Cuba

Journalist sentenced to three years on "disrespect" charges

A Cuban journalist has been sentenced to three years in jail on charges of "disrespect for authority," report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN (WiPC), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Iran / United States

Roxana Saberi freed

IFEX members welcomed the release of U.S. Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi, whose eight-year jail term for spying for the U.S. was this week reduced to a suspended two-year sentence and a five-year ban on reporting from Iran.

Mexico

Reporter under threat killed on World Press Freedom Day

A Mexican journalist who was critical of local authorities in the northern state of Durango was assassinated on 3 May, World Press Freedom Day, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of International PEN.

Brazil

Supreme Court strikes down archaic press law

Brazil's Supreme Court has made a "historic decision" to repeal the 1967 press law, which allowed for jail sentences for press offences, report the Associação Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo (ABRAJI), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), ARTICLE 19 and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Americas

World Press Freedom Day 2009 events in the Americas

On 24 April, radio reporter José Everardo Aguilar, who often talked about corruption on his radio programme, was gunned down in his home in El Bordo, in southwestern Colombia. To mark 3 May this year, the Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of International PEN has released the "Declaration in Defence of the Freedom to Write in the Americas".

Iran / United States

Freelancer Roxana Saberi convicted of spying

Iran convicted an American-Iranian journalist of spying for the United States and sentenced her to eight years in prison, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the International Press Institute (IPI).

Honduras

MIEMBROS DE IFEX CONDENAN ASESINATO DE CAMARÓGRAFO

Honduras

LES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX CONDAMNENT LES MEURTRES DE JOURNALISTES

Honduras

IFEX MEMBERS CONDEMN MURDERS OF JOURNALISTS

IFEX members have expressed outrage at the murder of two journalists in Guatemala and Honduras this week, countries "plagued by an overall lack of safety", said the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

Colombia

AUTORIDADES DESCUBREN COMPLOT PARA ASESINAR AL PRESIDENTE DE LA SIP

United States

RECLAME LA LIBERACIÓN DE DOS MUJERES PERIODISTAS DETENIDAS EN COREA DEL NORTE

Colombia

LES AUTORITÉS METTENT AU JOUR UN COMPLOT VISANT À ASSASSINER LE PRÉSIDENT DE LA SIP

United States

EXIGEZ LA REMISE EN LIBERTÉ DE DEUX FEMMES JOURNALISTES DÉTENUES EN CORÉE DU NORD

Colombia

AUTHORITIES UNCOVER PLOT TO KILL IAPA PRESIDENT

Colombian authorities were able to foil an attempt by a left-wing guerrilla group to kill a journalist who is the president of IFEX member the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and a founder of the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP), IFEX's member in Colombia.

United States

DEMAND RELEASE OF TWO WOMEN JOURNALISTS DETAINED IN NORTH KOREA

Two U.S. women journalists who were reporting on the fate of North Korean women being smuggled and sold to China have been detained in North Korea for more than a week on charges of entering the country illegally and carrying out "hostile" activities. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) have launched a petition calling for their release.

Colombia

Colombia: Authorities uncover plot to kill IAPA president

Cuba

SEIS AÑOS DESPUÉS, LOS MIEMBROS DE IFEX EXIGEN LIBERACIÓN DE DISIDENTES ENCARCELADOS EN "PRIMAVERA NEGRA"

Mexico

MÉXICO GOBIERNO "PENALIZA" LA LIBRE EXPRESIÓN AL ATACAR ESTACIÓN DE RADIO

Cuba

APRÈS SIX ANS, LES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX EXIGENT LA LIBÉRATION DES DISSIDENTS EMPRISONNÉS LORS DU « PRINTEMPS NOIR »

Mexico

LE GOUVERNEMENT « CRIMINALISE » LA LIBRE EXPRESSION EN CIBLANT UNE STATION DE RADIO

Cuba

SIX YEARS ON, IFEX MEMBERS DEMAND RELEASE OF DISSIDENTS JAILED IN "BLACK SPRING"

Six years after Cuba's notorious "Primavera Negra" ("Black Spring") crackdown on journalists and other accused dissenters, the country continues to trample on free expression. Cuba jails more journalists than any other country but China.

Mexico

GOVERNMENT "CRIMINALISES" FREE EXPRESSION BY TARGETING RADIO STATION

Tierra y Libertad is a community radio station in the northeast of Mexico that has for more than seven years provided the poorest neighbourhoods in Monterrey with info on workers' rights, health and legal assistance. But perhaps not for much longer, because the government says the station is operating without a licence. Employees are facing up to 12 years in prison and a fine of US$100,000 for operating illegally. ARTICLE 19 - Mexico, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) say it is an alarming case of the "criminalisation of free expression."

Dominica

DES GROUPES DE MÉDIAS CONDAMNENT UN AVANT-PROJET DE LOI SUR LA RADIODIFFUSION

Dominica

GRUPOS DE MEDIOS REPUDIAN PROYECTO DE LEY DE RADIO Y TELEVISIÓN

Dominica

DOMINICA: MEDIA GROUPS CONDEMN DRAFT BROADCAST LAW

The Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM), the Media Workers Association of Dominica (MWAD) and ARTICLE 19 joined forces last week to highlight the danger Dominica's draft broadcast law poses to independent media and to recommend changes to the law.

Colombia

ESPIONAJE TELEFÓNICO ILEGAL PONE EN RIESGO TRABAJO DE LOS PERIODISTAS Y FUENTES

Colombia

L'ÉCOUTE ÉLECTRONIQUE ILLÉGALE MENACE LE TRAVAIL ET LES SOURCES DES JOURNALISTES

Colombia

ILLEGAL WIRETAPPING JEOPARDISES JOURNALISTS' WORK AND SOURCES

The illegal wiretapping of prominent Colombian journalists endangers their work and compromises their confidential sources, say IFEX members the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

North America

AGISSEZ ! EXIGEZ AL-JAZIRAH ANGLAIS

North America

TAKE ACTION! DEMAND AL JAZEERA ENGLISH

Al Jazeera has launched a new website called IwantAlJazeera.net, which dispels the myths around the popular news agency and gives North American visitors the chance to watch the news Al Jazeera produces directly - in the hopes that they will contact their cable or satellite provider and demand that they carry Al Jazeera English.

Mexico

UN AUTRE JOURNALISTE ASSASSINÉ; LE GOUVERNEMENT NE FAIT PAS ASSEZ POUR PROTÉGER LES MÉDIAS, DISENT LES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX

Paraguay

LE DIRECTEUR D'UNE STATION DE RADIO COMMUNAUTAIRE EST ABATTU

Mexico

MÉXICO OTRO PERIODISTA ASESINADO; GOBIERNO NO ESTÁ HACIENDO LO SUFICIENTE PARA PROTEGER A LOS MEDIOS, DICEN MIEMBROS DE IFEX

Paraguay

DIRECTOR DE RADIO COMUNITARIA BALEADO

Mexico

ANOTHER JOURNALIST KILLED; GOVERNMENT NOT DOING ENOUGH TO PROTECT MEDIA, SAY IFEX MEMBERS

Jean Paul Ibarra Ramírez, a crime photographer for the local daily "El Correo", and crime reporter Yenny Yuliana Marchán Arroyo of the daily "Diario 21", were sent by their papers to cover a road accident in Iguala, Guerrero state on 13 February. But they didn't have a chance to file the story. According to the Center for Journalist and Public Ethics (CEPET), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and other IFEX members, they were attacked by gunmen as they travelled to the scene. Ibarra was killed, while Marchán suffered serious injuries.

Paraguay

COMMUNITY RADIO DIRECTOR GUNNED DOWN

The director of a community radio station in eastern Paraguay was killed in his home last month, report the Paraguayan Union of Journalists (SPP) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Colombia

AUCUN JOURNALISTE N’A ÉTÉ ASSASSINÉ À CAUSE DE SON TRAVAIL EN 2008, DIT LA FLIP

Colombia

NO HUBO PERIODISTAS MUERTOS POR SU TRABAJO EN 2008, DICE FLIP

Colombia

NO JOURNALISTS MURDERED FOR WORK IN 2008, SAYS FLIP

In 2008, there were no job-related murders of journalists in Colombia, and press freedom violations decreased by 20 per cent, says a new report by the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP). But impunity for crimes against journalists and threats levelled against the media remain cause for concern, said FLIP.

Guatemala

DES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX DÉNONCENT LA VIOLENCE CROISSANTE DIRIGÉE CONTRE LES JOURNALISTES

Guatemala

MIEMBROS DE IFEX DENUNCIAN AUMENTO EN VIOLENCIA CONTRA PERIODISTAS

Guatemala

IFEX MEMBERS EXPRESS CONCERN OVER FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION SITUATION IN GUATEMELA

IFEX members and participants in the "Regional meeting of Latin American freedom of expression organisations" organised by the IFEX Clearing House, issued a press statement appealing to the Guatemala government to work with civil society organisations to guarantee the protection of journalists, whose lives are increasingly under threat by drug cartels and organized criminals.

Colombia

LES MEMBRES DE L’IFEX CÉLÈBRENT UNE VICTOIRE HISTORIQUE CONTRE L’IMPUNITÉ

United States

OBAMA S’ENGAGE À FAIRE PREUVE D’OUVERTURE ET DE TRANSPARENCE

Mexico

LA VILLE DE CIUDAD JUÁREZ, INFESTÉE PAR LA DROGUE, EST LE PIRE ENDROIT DU MEXIQUE POUR LES JOURNALISTES, DIT UNE MISSION

Colombia

MIEMBROS DE IFEX CELEBRAN VICTORIA HISTÓRICA CONTRA LA IMPUNIDAD

United States

OBAMA PROMETE APERTURA Y TRANSPARENCIA

Mexico

CIUDAD JUÁREZ, INFESTADA POR LAS DROGAS, ES EL PEOR LUGAR DE MÉXICO PARA LOS PERIODISTAS, DICE MISIÓN

Colombia

IFEX MEMBERS CELEBRATE HISTORIC VICTORY AGAINST IMPUNITY

In what the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) are calling a major victory against impunity in Colombia, a former mayor has been sentenced to 28 years in jail for ordering the 2003 killing of a journalist who had denounced the mayor as corrupt. It is the first time the mastermind of a journalist's killing in Colombia has been convicted and jailed since 1992, says CPJ.

United States

OBAMA PLEDGES OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY

IFEX members ARTICLE 19 and Privacy International (PI) welcomed U.S. President Barack Obama's new policies that enhance public access to government information - announced on his first day of office.

Mexico

DRUG-INFESTED CIUDAD JUÁREZ WORST PLACE IN MEXICO FOR JOURNALISTS, SAYS MISSION

Last November, veteran crime reporter José Armando Rodríguez was shot to death at his home in Ciudad Juárez on the Texas border. His murder prompted a fact-finding mission by the Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which found that journalists in the region face a terrible dilemma: "censor themselves, go into exile or risk an almost certain death that will go completely unpunished."

Venezuela

UN JOURNALISTE EST ASSASSINÉ; UN AUTRE SURVIT AUX PROJECTILES

United States

LES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX AUX ÉTATS-UNIS PRESSENT OBAMA DE RÉAFFIRMER LE LEADERSHIP DE SON PAYS EN MATIÈRE DE DROITS DE LA PERSONNE

Venezuela

PERIODISTA ASESINADO; OTRO SOBREVIVE AL TIROTEO

United States

LOS MIEMBROS DE IFEX INSTAN A OBAMA A REAFIRMAR SU LIDERAZGO EN DERECHOS HUMANOS

Venezuela

JOURNALIST MURDERED; ANOTHER SURVIVES SHOOTING

A journalist who recently covered drug trafficking in Venezuela was assassinated last week, report the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and other IFEX members. He was slain just three days after the attempted murder of another journalist in southwestern Venezuela.

United States

IFEX MEMBERS IN U.S. URGE OBAMA TO REAFFIRM LEADERSHIP IN HUMAN RIGHTS

New U.S. President Barack Obama must retake leadership of the global agenda that has been hijacked by "spoiler" states like China, Egypt and Russia, and put human rights at the heart of it, said Human Rights Watch in issuing its annual world report. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) voiced a similar sentiment in a letter to Obama.

Peru

PERIODISTAS RADIOFÓNICOS CONSTITUYEN EL GRUPO DE MEDIOS MÁS ATACADO EN PERÚ, DICE EL IPYS

Honduras

HONDURAS INFRINGE SU PROPIA LEY DE ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN, DICE C-LIBRE

Peru

LES JOURNALISTES DE LA RADIO SONT LE GROUPE DE MÉDIAS LE PLUS CIBLÉ AU PÉROU, DIT L'IPYS

Honduras

LE HONDURAS CONTREVIENT À SA PROPRE LOI SUR LA LIBERTÉ D'ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION, DIT C-LIBRE

Peru

RADIO JOURNALISTS MOST TARGETED MEDIA GROUP IN PERU, SAYS IPYS

When it comes to attacks on the media, radio journalists were the most frequent targets of aggression in 2008 in Peru, says the Institute of Press and Society (IPYS) in a new report.

Honduras

HONDURAS BREACHES OWN ACCESS TO INFORMATION LAW, SAYS C-LIBRE

2008 was not a good year for press freedom in Honduras. Despite the passage of the much anticipated Law of Transparency and Access to Public Information, public institutions are not abiding by it, says an investigation by the Committee for Free Expression (C-Libre), a coalition of journalists and members of civil society that defends and promotes free expression in Honduras.

Mexico

ARTICLE 19 ET LE CENCOS DÉVOILENT UNE CAMPAGNE DE PROTECTION DES JOURNALISTES

Mexico

ARTICLE 19 Y CENCOS PRESENTAN CAMPAÑA PARA PROTEGER PERIODISTAS

Mexico

ARTICLE 19 AND CENCOS UNVEIL CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS

Last month, veteran crime reporter José Armando Rodríguez was shot to death at his home in Ciudad Juárez on the Texas border, setting off another round of condemnation from IFEX members about the relentless violence that is stifling critical journalism in Mexico.

Mexico

UN CHRONIQUEUR JUDICIAIRE CHEVRONNÉ EST ABATTU À CIUDAD JUÁREZ

Uruguay

L'URUGUAY ADOPTE UNE LOI SUR L'ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION

Mexico

MÉXICO VETERANO REPORTERO POLICÍACO MUERTO A TIROS EN CIUDAD JUÁREZ

Uruguay

URUGUAY APRUEBA LEY DE ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN

Mexico

VETERAN CRIME REPORTER SHOT DEAD IN CIUDAD JUÁREZ

A crime reporter was shot to death outside his home last week in the border city of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, report the Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET), the Committee to Protect Journalists and other IFEX members.

Uruguay

URUGUAY PASSES ACCESS TO INFO LAW

Last month, Uruguay became the latest country in the Americas to pass an access to public information law, reports the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC).

Canada

PERIODISTA LIBERADA; ASISTENTE E INTERMEDIARIO BAJO CUSTODIA

Canada

JOURNALIST FREED; FIXER AND DRIVER IN CUSTODY

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) and other IFEX members welcomed the release of a Canadian TV journalist who spent four weeks in captivity, and continue to call for the release of her fixer and driver, who are in custody.

Guatemala

DISEÑADOR GRÁFICO MUERTO CON BALLESTA

Guatemala

UN CONCEPTEUR GRAPHIQUE EST ASSASSINÉ AU MOYEN D'UNE ARBALÈTE

Guatemala

GRAPHIC DESIGNER KILLED BY CROSSBOW

A graphic designer for a national daily in Guatemala was killed after being hit in the chest by an arrow fired from a crossbow, report Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS).

Colombia

AUTORIDADES SUPRIMEN COBERTURA DE PROTESTAS INDÍGENAS

Colombia

LES AUTORITÉS SUPPRIMENT LA COUVERTURE DES PROTESTATIONS DES AUTOCHTONES

Colombia

AUTHORITIES SUPPRESS COVERAGE OF INDIGENOUS PROTESTS

At least one person was killed and more than 130 were wounded during indigenous demonstrations last week in several departments in Colombia. But with multiple press freedom violations being committed, you would be hard-pressed to find out what's going on.

Mexico

LES ASSASSINATS DE JOURNALISTES METTENT EN LUMIÈRE LA TENDANCE À LA VIOLENCE CONTRE LES MÉDIAS EN AMÉRIQUE LATINE

Mexico

ASESINATOS DE PERIODISTAS DESTACAN TENDENCIA DE VIOLENCIA CONTRA MEDIOS EN AMÉRICA LATINA

Mexico

JOURNALISTS' MURDERS HIGHLIGHT TREND OF VIOLENCE AGAINST MEDIA IN LATIN AMERICA

Last week, a bullet-ridden body was found in a garbage dump on the outskirts of Lázaro Cárdenas, a city in the western state of Michoacán in Mexico. It belonged to Miguel Ángel Villagómez Valle, the editor of a Michoacán newspaper. He was last seen leaving the office a day earlier, on 9 October.

Mexico

UN ANIMATEUR DE LA RADIO EST ABATTU DANS LE TABASCO

Mexico

LOCUTOR DE RADIO BALEADO EN TABASCO

Mexico

RADIO HOST GUNNED DOWN IN TABASCO

A radio announcer dedicated to fighting organised crime in his community was killed last week in Tabasco, southeastern Mexico, report the Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET) and regional and international press freedom groups.

Venezuela

EXPULSAN A DELEGACIÓN DE HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

Venezuela

EXPULSION D'UNE DÉLÉGATION DE HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

Venezuela

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH DELEGATION EXPELLED

Two senior Human Rights Watch staff were expelled from Venezuela last week, just hours after presenting a report describing the deteriorating human rights situation under the government of President Hugo Chávez.

Bolivia

MANIFESTANTES DE LA OPOSICIÓN MALTRATAN A LA PRENSA

Bolivia

LES PROTESTATAIRES DE L'OPPOSITION S'EN PRENNENT À LA PRESSE

Bolivia

OPPOSITION PROTESTERS BATTER PRESS

A wave of violent clashes between opponents and supporters of the government in Bolivia has badly hit the press, particularly public and community media, report the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and other press freedom groups.

Colombia

UN NOUVEAU DOSSIER FOUILLE EN PROFONDEUR LES RÉCENTES VIOLATIONS DE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE

Venezuela

MOIS DE LA LIBERTÉ DE L'INFORMATION AU VENEZUELA (18 SEPTEMBRE AU 18 OCTOBRE)

Colombia

NUEVOS INFORMES AHONDAN EN RECIENTES INFRACCIONES A LA LIBERTAD DE PRENSA

Venezuela

MES DE LA LIBERTAD DE INFORMACIÓN EN VENEZUELA (18 DE SEPTIEMBRE A 18 DE OCTUBRE)

Colombia

NEW REPORTS DIG DEEP INTO RECENT PRESS FREEDOM VIOLATIONS

In recent weeks, the Colombian authorities have been using legal proceedings to shut up journalists and news media - or their sources - who have been speaking out against them, says a new report by the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP). It's just one of a handful of reports that spotlight recent press freedom violations in Colombia.

Venezuela

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION MONTH IN VENEZUELA (18 SEPTEMBER-18 OCTOBER)

Even though the Inter-American Court of Human Rights declared freedom of information a fundamental human right last year, Venezuela still doesn't have a Freedom of Information Act. So for a month starting 18 September, the civil-society coalition Proacceso will celebrate Freedom of Information Month in Venezuela, under the motto "Don't let them take you for a ride. Make your right to information count" ("No dejes que te echen otro cuento. Haz valer tu derecho a la información").

United States

REPORTEROS ARRESTADOS MIENTRAS CUBRÍAN CONVENCIONES POLÍTICAS

United States

DES REPORTERS ARRÊTÉS TANDIS QU'ILS COUVRAIENT DES CONVENTIONS POLITIQUES

United States

REPORTERS ARRESTED WHILE COVERING POLITICAL CONVENTIONS

Three journalists from the popular U.S. public TV and radio programme "Democracy Now!" and a photographer from The Associated Press (AP) were manhandled and arrested while covering anti-war demonstrations at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota on 1 September, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and local media groups.

Mexico

AUTOR Y CINEASTA DE DOCUMENTALES ASESINADO

Mexico

UN AUTEUR ET UN DOCUMENTARISTE SONT ASSASSINÉS

Mexico

AUTHOR AND DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER MURDERED

Anthropologist, author and filmmaker Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez Ávila was apparently beaten to death in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero on 26 July 2008. The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN (WiPC) says his murder may be related to his documentation of attacks against an indigenous community radio station.

Mexico

DIFUSIÓN COMUNITARIA ATACADA EN TRES PAÍSES Y PROMOVIDA EN URUGUAY

Chile

EL DERECHO A SABER INFORMACIÓN PÚBLICA AVANZA

Guatemala

LA RADIODIFFUSION COMMUNAUTAIRE ATTAQUÉE DANS TROIS PAYS, MAIS PROMUE EN URUGUAY

Uruguay

COMMUNITY BROADCASTING ATTACKED IN THREE COUNTRIES, PROMOTED IN URUGUAY

In Mexico, Guatemala and Chile, community radio stations have recently come under pressure. Meanwhile, Uruguay is bringing its Community Broadcast Law to life by allocating bandwidth to community television.

Dominican Republic

CAMARÓGRAFO QUE CUBRÍA CRÍMENES ES ASESINADO A BALAZOS

Dominican Republic

UN CAMERAMAN QUI AVAIT COUVERT UN CRIME EST ABATTU

Dominican Republic

CAMERAMAN WHO COVERED CRIME SHOT DEAD

Teleunión journalist Normando García was shot and killed on 7 August 2008 in Santiago, a city north of Santo Domingo.

Canada

POLICÍA QUE SE HACE PASAR POR REPORTERO EROSIONA LIBERTAD DE PRENSA, DICE CJFE

Brazil

PERIODISTAS RECIBEN AMENAZA DE MUERTE AL INFORMAR EN FAVELA

Canada

QUE LA POLICE SE FASSE PASSER POUR DES REPORTERS, CELA ÉRODE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE, DIT LE CJFE

Brazil

DES JOURNALISTES REÇOIVENT DES MENACES DE MORT LORSQU'ILS COUVRENT UN BIDONVILLE

Colombia

LES VIOLATIONS DE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE EN DÉCLIN EN COLOMBIE, DIT LA FLIP

Canada

POLICE POSING AS REPORTERS ERODES PRESS FREEDOM, SAYS CJFE

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) and other media organisations are concerned about an undercover police tactic that puts officers at the scene in the guise of journalists.

Brazil

JOURNALISTS GET DEATH THREATS WHEN REPORTING IN SHANTYTOWN

Journalists covering some of Brazil's poorest neighbourhoods are finding themselves threatened by the drug traffickers and organised criminals who inhabit them. Armed and hooded men threatened to kill three Brazilian photographers covering a weekend visit by a mayoral candidate to one of Rio de Janeiro's shantytowns, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) report.

Colombia

PRESS FREEDOM VIOLATIONS ON THE WANE IN COLOMBIA, SAYS FLIP

Good news from Colombia: there were fewer press freedom violations in the first half of 2008 in Colombia than over the same period last year - likely because 2008 is not an election year, a new report by the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) has found.

Ecuador

GOBIERNO SE INCAUTA ESTACIÓNES DE TV

Colombia

SE ACEPTAN NOMINACIONES PARA PREMIO ORLANDO SIERRA AL VALOR 2008

Ecuador

LE GOUVERNEMENT SAISIT DES STATIONS DE TÉLÉVISION

Colombia

ON SOLLICITE DES MISES EN NOMINATION EN VUE DE L'ATTRIBUTION DU PRIX « ORLANDO-SIERRA » DU COURAGE 2008

United States

U.S.: RIGHTS GROUPS CHALLENGE SPYING LAW

PEN American Center has joined the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and other leading rights organisations in challenging the U.S. government over the constitutionality of a new surveillance law.

Ecuador

GOVERNMENT SEIZES TV STATIONS

IFEX members are alarmed that the government's seizure of two television stations and the closure of a critical radio station in Ecuador last week may be a move to silence private broadcasters ahead of a constitutional referendum.

Colombia

NOMINATIONS WANTED FOR ORLANDO SIERRA PRIZE FOR COURAGE 2008

The Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP), "Semana" magazine and the energy company Petrobras are seeking nominations for the Orlando Sierra Prize, awarded to a regional journalist or organisation based in Colombia that demonstrates outstanding courage while working in risky and often difficult situations. The deadline for entries is 31 July 2008.

Cuba

MIEMBROS DE IFEX INSTAN A CASTRO A LIBERAR A PERIODISTAS ENCARCELADOS

Cuba

LIBÉREZ LES JOURNALISTES EMPRISONNÉS, DISENT À CASTRO DES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX

Cuba

CUBA: RELEASE JAILED JOURNALISTS, IFEX MEMBERS URGE CASTRO

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) are appealing to President Raúl Castro to unconditionally release all jailed journalists in Cuba now that the European Union has lifted diplomatic sanctions on the socialist country.

United States

BLOG ESTADOUNIDENSE "TALKING POINTS MEMO" GANA PREMIO PIONERO DE MEDIOS LIBRES

United States

LE BLOGUE AMÉRICAIN « TALKING POINTS MEMO » REMPORTE LE PRIX PIONNIER DE LA LIBERTÉ DES MÉDIAS

United States

U.S. BLOG "TALKING POINTS MEMO" WINS FREE MEDIA PIONEER AWARD

The New York-based political blog "Talking Points Memo" has won the 2008 Free Media Pioneer award of the International Press Institute (IPI). Managing editor David Kurtz received the prize at an award ceremony on 17 June during IPI's world congress in Belgrade, Serbia.

Mexico

POLICÍA FEDERAL CIERRA ESTACIÓN DE RADIO COMUNITARIA

Mexico

LA POLICE FÉDÉRALE FERME UNE STATION DE RADIO COMMUNAUTAIRE

Mexico

FEDERAL POLICE CLOSE COMMUNITY RADIO STATION

Tierra y Libertad is a community radio station in Monterrey in the northeast of Mexico with a broadcasting radius of four kilometres - just far enough to hit some of the poorest neighbourhoods in Monterrey's west end. It's been on the air for seven years, giving the locals news and analysis on education, health, culture, human rights and labour issues. So it came as some surprise when a large armed police contingent surrounded the station and forced its closure one Friday this month, in what ARTICLE 19 - Mexico and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) say is an alarming case of the "criminalisation of free expression."

Venezuela

EJECUTIVO DE PERIÓDICO BALEADO

Venezuela

UN ADMINISTRATEUR DE JOURNAL EST ABATTU

Venezuela

NEWSPAPER EXECUTIVE GUNNED DOWN

The vice-president of a Venezuelan newspaper whose senior staff had received more than 50 death threats in the past year was gunned down last week, report the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS) and other IFEX members.

Paraguay

LES TRIBUNAUX RECONNAISSENT L'ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION COMME DROIT DE LA PERSONNE

Paraguay

TRIBUNALES RECONOCEN ACCESO A INFORMACIÓN COMO UN DERECHO HUMANO

Paraguay

COURTS RECOGNISE ACCESS TO INFO AS HUMAN RIGHT

Recent judicial decisions in Paraguay and the Dominican Republic recognise access to public information as a fundamental human right - which will hopefully have a profound effect on other countries in the region, says ARTICLE 19.

Guatemala

REPORTERO BALEADO DESPUÉS DE RECIBIR AMENAZAS

Mexico

FUNCIONARIO CALIFICA A DEFENSORA DE LIBRE EXPRESIÓN DE "ENEMIGA DEL ESTADO" DURANTE MISIÓN

Guatemala

UN REPORTER EST ABATTU APRÈS AVOIR ÉTÉ MENACÉ

Mexico

LORS D'UNE MISSION, UN RESPONSABLE GOUVERNEMENTAL QUALIFIE UNE CHAMPIONNE DE LA LIBRE EXPRESSION D'« ENNEMIE DE L'ÉTAT »

Guatemala

REPORTER GUNNED DOWN AFTER RECEIVING THREATS

A newspaper correspondent was gunned down in his home in southern Guatemala just weeks after receiving threats, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

Mexico

OFFICIAL CALLS FREE EXPRESSION ADVOCATE "ENEMY OF THE STATE" DURING MISSION

The international vice-president of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) was called an "enemy of the state" by a high-ranking government official while on a free expression mission to Mexico.

United States

LE CAMÉRAMAN D'AL-JAZIRAH EST LIBÉRÉ DE GUANTÁNAMO

United States

CAMARÓGRAFO DE AL YAZIRA LIBERADO DE GUANTÁNAMO

United States

AL JAZEERA CAMERAMAN FREED FROM GUANTANAMO

An Al Jazeera cameraman held at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay for six years without charge was freed on 1 May, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Al Jazeera.

Mexico

MISIÓN INTERNACIONAL SE DIRIGE A MÉXICO PARA INVESTIGAR INFRACCIONES

Mexico

LA MISSION INTERNATIONALE SE REND AU MEXIQUE POUR FAIRE ENQUÊTE SUR DES VIOLATIONS

Mexico

INTERNATIONAL MISSION HEADS TO MEXICO TO INVESTIGATE VIOLATIONS

On the heels of the murder of two female indigenous radio broadcasters, an international mission has gone to Mexico to assess the country's deteriorating press freedom situation.

Mexico

REPORTERA DE INVESTIGACIÓN MEXICANA GANA PREMIO A LALIBERTAD DE PRENSA UNESCO

United States

LE PHOTOGRAPHE DE L'AP SERA RELÂCHÉ

Mexico

UNE JOURNALISTE D'ENQUÊTE MEXICAINE REMPORTE LE PRIX DE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE DE L'UNESCO

United States

AP PHOTOGRAPHER TO BE RELEASED

The U.S. military has promised to release Associated Press (AP) photographer Bilal Hussein on 16 April, after two years of detention without charge for his alleged links to insurgents, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and AP.

Mexico

MEXICAN INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER WINS UNESCO PRESS FREEDOM PRIZE

A Mexican reporter who has been the target of death threats, sabotage, defamation suits and police harassment because of her work uncovering prostitution and child pornography networks is this year's winner of the prestigious Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, awarded by UNESCO.

Bolivia

PERIODISTA RADIOFÓNICO MUERE TRAS ATAQUE A ESTACIÓN

Guatemala

GOBIERNO ACUERDA LEY DE ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN

Bolivia

UN JOURNALISTE MEURT APRÈS UN ATTENTAT CONTRE UNE STATION DE RADIO

Guatemala

LE GOUVERNEMENT CONSENT À UNE LOI SUR L'ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION

Bolivia

RADIO JOURNALIST DIES AFTER ATTACK ON STATION

A journalist who got caught up in mob violence against a Bolivian radio station has died from his wounds, report the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and other press freedom groups.

Guatemala

GOVERNMENT AGREES TO ACCESS TO INFORMATION LAW

Guatemala's government has committed to enacting an access to information law, reports the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

Mexico

« POUVOIRS PARALLÈLES » : PRINCIPALE MENACE À LA LIBRE EXPRESSION AU MEXIQUE, CONCLUT LE CEPET

Colombia

LE DIRECTEUR DE LA FIJ-COLOMBIE REMPORTE UN PRIX ESPAGNOL DES DROITS DE LA PERSONNE

Mexico

"PODERES PARALELOS" SON LA PRINCIPAL AMENAZA A LA LIBRE EXPRESIÓN EN MÉXICO, ENCUENTRA CEPET

Colombia

DIRECTOR DE FIP COLOMBIA GANA PREMIO ESPAÑOL DE PERIODISMO DE DERECHOS HUMANOS

Mexico

"PARALLEL POWERS" MAIN THREAT TO FREE EXPRESSION IN MEXICO, FINDS CEPET

"Parallel powers" ("poderes paralelos") were behind almost a third of all attacks on free expression last year in Mexico, says a new report by the Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET).

Colombia

IFJ COLOMBIA DIRECTOR WINS SPANISH HUMAN RIGHTS JOURNALISM PRIZE

The director of the International Federation of Journalists' Solidarity Centre in Colombia (CESO-FIP) has won the Julio Anguita Parrado International Prize, the annual award from the Union of Andalucían Journalists in Spain, for his dedication to defending journalism and freedom of the press in Colombia.

Mexico

UNO DE CADA DOS TRABAJADORES INDEPENDIENTES MEXICANOS HA SIDO ACOSADO, DICE ESTUDIO

Mexico

UN PIGISTE MEXICAIN SUR DEUX CONSULTÉS A ÉTÉ HARCELÉ, DIT UNE ÉTUDE

Mexico

ONE IN TWO MEXICAN FREELANCERS SURVEYED HAS BEEN HARASSED, STUDY FINDS

One in two freelance newsgatherers in Mexico, the most dangerous country in Latin America for journalists, has been threatened or attacked, says a new survey by the Rory Peck Trust, an organisation dedicated to supporting and protecting freelancers. And more than half of those attacks come from local government, police and the military, the trust says.

United States

DECLARAN COMBATIENTE ENEMIGO A PERIODISTA AFGANO

Brazil

IGLESIA EVANGÉLICA PIERDE DEMANDAS CONTRA PERIÓDICO

United States

UN JOURNALISTE AFGHAN DÉCLARÉ COMBATTANT ENNEMI

Brazil

UNE ÉGLISE ÉVANGÉLIQUE PERD DES POURSUITES JUDICIAIRES CONTRE UN JOURNAL

Brazil

EVANGELICAL CHURCH LOSES LAWSUITS AGAINST NEWSPAPER

Brazil's largest newspaper has so far won seven lawsuits out of nearly 60 libel cases filed against it by an evangelical church, over an article that criticised the church's business empire, report the Brazilian Investigative Journalism Association (ABRAJI), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and other IFEX members.

Cuba

CUATRO DISIDENTES LIBERADOS

Cuba

QUATRE DISSIDENTS SONT REMIS EN LIBERTÉ

Cuba

FOUR DISSIDENTS RELEASED

Four Cuban dissidents - including two journalists - were released and flown into exile in Spain after spending years behind bars for their political beliefs.

Mexico

LE GOUVERNEMENT RESTE SILENCIEUX AU SUJET DE LA VAGUE RÉCENTE D'ATTAQUES CONTRE LA PRESSE

United States

PROGRAMME DE BOURSES D'ÉTUDES EN JOURNALISME SUR LES AFFAIRES MONDIALES

Mexico

GOBIERNO GUARDA SILENCIO SOBRE RECIENTE OLEADA DE ATAQUES CONTRA LA PRENSA

United States

PROGRAMA DE BECAS DE PERIODISMO SOBRE SUCESOS MUNDIALES

Mexico

GOVERNMENT SILENT ON RECENT SPATE OF ATTACKS ON PRESS

Three journalists killed. A crime reporter goes into exile. A newspaper is forced to cut down on crime reporting for security reasons. Dozens of journalists attacked or threatened. All this in Mexico so far this year - and the government has once again failed to respond, say ARTICLE 19 - Mexico, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) - Mexico, the Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET), the National Center for Social Communication (CENCOS) and other Mexican rights groups.

United States

WORLD AFFAIRS JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME

The International Center for Journalists is currently accepting applications for the World Affairs Fellowship, which enables U.S. newspaper reporters to travel overseas and report on international stories that will have an impact in their local communities.

Colombia

PERIODISTA ASESINADO EN MEDIO DE INUNDACIÓN DE AMENAZAS CONTRA MEDIOS

Colombia

UN JOURNALISTE EST TUÉ DANS UN FLOT DE MENACES ADRESSÉES AUX MÉDIAS

Colombia

JOURNALIST KILLED AMID FLOOD OF THREATS AGAINST MEDIA

A radio journalist was killed point blank in central Colombia on the country's Day of the Journalist, report the Solidarity Centre of the International Federation of Journalists in Colombia (CESO-IFJ), the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) and other IFEX members.

Brazil

IGLESIA DEMANDA A PERIODISTA Y PERIÓDICO

Brazil

UNE ÉGLISE POURSUIT UNE JOURNALISTE ET UN JOURNAL

Brazil

CHURCH SUES JOURNALIST, NEWSPAPER

A journalist and the largest newspaper in Brazil are facing 28 separate lawsuits over an article that criticises a church's business empire, reports the Brazilian Investigative Journalism Association (ABRAJI).

Brazil

CAMARÓGRAFO ASESINADO EN MEDIO DE GUERRA DE CRIMINALES

Brazil

UN CAMÉRAMAN EST TUÉ DANS UNE VAGUE DE CRIMINALITÉ

Brazil

CAMERAMAN KILLED AMID CRIME WAVE

A television cameraman was gunned down on 5 January amid a crime wave in Maceió, northeastern Brazil, report ARTICLE 19 and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

United States

RATIFICATION DES MODIFICATIONS APPORTÉES À LA LOI D'ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION

United States

RATIFICAN CAMBIOS A LEY DE LIBERTAD DE INFORMACIÓN

United States

CHANGES TO FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT RATIFIED

President George W. Bush has signed into law amendments to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that improve public access to federal government information. But his move comes "so late in an administration that has shown little respect" for freedom of information, says Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Guatemala

UN REPORTER DE LA RADIO EST ASSASSINÉ

Guatemala

REPORTERO DE RADIO ASESINADO

Guatemala

RADIO REPORTER MURDERED

A young radio announcer was found dead in Guatemala last week, only two months after he started working at a local station, reports the Centre of Informative Reports on Guatemala (Centro de Reportes Informativos sobre Guatemala, CERIGUA).

Mexico

BALEAN Y MATAN A REPORTERO LOCAL

Mexico

UN REPORTER LOCAL EST ABATTU

Mexico

LOCAL REPORTER SHOT DEAD

A newspaper reporter who covered agriculture and occasionally crime in the central state of Michoacán, Mexico was shot dead last weekend, report the Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (Centro de Periodismo y Etica Publica, CEPET), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Venezuela

MEDIOS AMENAZADOS EN MEDIO DE INTENTOS DE REFORMAS CONSTITUCIONALES

Mexico

SUPREMA CORTE FALLA CONTRA PERIODISTA LYDIA CACHO

Bolivia

LES MÉDIAS SONT MENACÉS TANDIS QU'ON TENTE UNE RÉFORME CONSTITUTIONNELLE

Mexico

LA COUR SUPRÊME TRANCHE CONTRE LA JOURNALISTE LYDIA CACHO

Venezuela

MEDIA THREATENED AMID ATTEMPTS AT CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

Venezuelans narrowly rejected constitutional reforms over the weekend that would have allowed President Hugo Chávez to proclaim an indefinite state of emergency and suspend press freedom. Meanwhile, violent clashes continue in Bolivia in response to President Evo Morales's reform plans.

Mexico

SUPREME COURT RULES AGAINST JOURNALIST LYDIA CACHO

IFEX members have condemned the Mexican Supreme Court's decision on 29 November that a local governor did not violate the rights of a journalist who had exposed a paedophile ring when he had her jailed on defamation charges.

Uruguay

SENADO APRUEBA PROYECTO DE LEY DE DIFUSIÓN COMUNITARIA

Uruguay

LE SÉNAT ADOPTE LE PROJET DE LOI SUR LA RADIODIFFUSION COMMUNAUTAIRE

Uruguay

SENATE PASSES COMMUNITY BROADCASTING BILL

In what the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) calls a "groundbreaking move for freedom of expression in Latin America," the Uruguayan Senate approved a Community Broadcasting Bill that recognises community broadcasting in its own right and says television and radio frequencies should be more equitably distributed.

Canada

UN TRIBUNAL ONTARIEN AFFIRME LE DROIT DES MÉDIAS DE PUBLIER DANS L'INTÉRÊT PUBLIC

Canada

TRIBUNAL DE ONTARIO AFIRMA DERECHO DE MEDIOS A PUBLICAR POR EL INTERÉS PÚBLICO

Canada

ONTARIO COURT AFFIRMS MEDIA'S RIGHT TO PUBLISH IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST

Ontario's Court of Appeal has given the media the freedom to publish information deemed in the public interest, a major victory for freedom of expression in Canada, says Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE).

United States

AGISSEZ ! ENRAYEZ L'AUGMENTATION DES TARIFS POSTAUX AUX ÉTATS-UNIS

Argentina

LA PUBLICITÉ MANIPULATRICE DU GOUVERNEMENT MINE LE JOURNALISME EN ARGENTINE, DIT LE CPJ

United States

¡ACTÚE! AYUDE A DEROGAR AUMENTOS EN TARIFAS POSTALES ESTADOUNIDENSES

Argentina

PUBLICIDAD GUBERNAMENTAL MANIPULADORA SOCAVA COBERTURA EN ARGENTINA, DICE EL CPJ

United States

TAKE ACTION! STAMP OUT U.S. POSTAL RATE HIKES

Today, on 30 October, the U.S. Congress is holding a hearing on the recent postage rate hike that has brought some small and independent publications to the brink of financial disaster. Take a stand: help Free Press, a non-profit org dedicated to promoting democratic media policy, collect 100,000 signatures to stamp out the rate hikes.

Argentina

MANIPULATIVE GOVERNMENT ADVERTISING UNDERMINES COVERAGE IN ARGENTINA, SAYS CPJ

It came as no surprise that Cristina Fernández, wife of outgoing President Néstor Kirchner, was elected Argentina's president over the weekend. "News for Sale", the latest report from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), looks at one of the secrets behind her success: how her husband rewarded "friendly" news outlets with lucrative government advertising contracts.

Honduras

PERIODISTA RADIOFÓNICO ASESINADO EN TEGUCIGALPA

United States

NUEVA LEY PROTEGERÍA FUENTES Y LIBERTAD EN INTERNET

Honduras

UN RADIOJOURNALISTE EST ASSASSINÉ À TEGUCIGALPA

United States

UNE NOUVELLE LOI PROTÉGERAIT LES SOURCES ET LA LIBERTÉ DE L'INTERNET

Honduras

RADIO JOURNALIST MURDERED IN TEGUCIGALPA

Unidentified individuals shot and killed Honduran radio journalist Carlos Salgado on 17 October as he was leaving the offices of Radio Cadena Voces (RCV) in the capital city of Tegucigalpa. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is investigating whether the murder is linked to Salgado's work.

United States

NEW LEGISLATION WOULD PROTECT SOURCES AND INTERNET FREEDOM

Two new pieces of legislation in the United States would help protect reporters' sources and promote Internet freedom.

Brazil

CAMPAÑA APOYA TRANSPARENCIA EN LICENCIAS DE DIFUSIÓN

Brazil

CAMPAGNE D'APPUI À LA TRANSPARENCE DANS L'ATTRIBUTION DES PERMIS DE RADIODIFFUSION

Brazil

CAMPAIGN SUPPORTS TRANSPARENCY IN BROADCASTING LICENCES

A coalition of civil society organisations and social movements, including ARTICLE 19, launched a campaign on 5 October 2007 to demand transparency and participation in Brazil's allocation of broadcasting licences. According to journalist and university professor Laurindo Leal Filho, "the Brazilian people are deprived of their right to know who holds the concessions and exactly when these concessions were granted."

Mexico

TRES TRABAJADORES MUERTOS A TIROS EN VEHÍCULO DE PERIÓDICO

Mexico

TROIS TRAVAILLEURS ABATTUS DANS LE CAMION DE DISTRIBUTION D'UN JOURNAL

Mexico

THREE WORKERS SHOT DEAD IN NEWSPAPER VAN

Three distributors of the newspaper "El Imparcial del Istmo" were attacked and shot dead on 8 October on a highway in Oaxaca, following weeks of threats made to the paper, report Mexican member the National Centre for Social Communication (Centro Nacional de Comunicación Social, CENCOS), ARTICLE 19 and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Colombia

FLIP ENCUENTRA QUE VALLE DEL CAUCA ES UNA DE LAS PEORES ÁREAS PARA LOS PERIODISTAS; GRUPO DE DERECHOS HUMANOS CONDENA VÍNCULO ENTRE GOBIERNO Y PARAMILITARES

Colombia

LA FLIP CONSIDÈRE QUE LE VALLE DEL CAUCA EST L'UNE DES PIRES RÉGIONS POUR LES JOURNALISTES DE COLOMBIE; UN GROUPE DE DÉFENSE DES DROITS DÉNONCE LES LIENS ENTRE LE GOUVERNEMENT ET LES PARAMILITAIRES

Colombia

FLIP FINDS VALLE DEL CAUCA ONE OF WORST AREAS FOR JOURNALISTS IN COLOMBIA; RIGHTS GROUP CONDEMNS GOVERNMENT/PARAMILITARY LINK

Valle del Cauca department in western Colombia has one of the highest rates of press freedom violations in the country, forcing journalists into silence, the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa, FLIP) has found.

El Salvador

UN REPORTER DE LA RADIO EST ABATTU

United States

« PAS D'HABEAS CORPUS », LA NOUVELLE QUI ARRIVE EN TÊTE DE LISTE DES REPORTAGES CENSURÉS EN 2006-2007

El Salvador

REPORTERO DE RADIO BALEADO

United States

"NO HABEAS CORPUS" ENCABEZA LA LISTA DE ARTÍCULOS CENSURADOS EN 2006-2007

El Salvador

RADIO REPORTER GUNNED DOWN

A radio reporter in El Salvador who had told his family he had been receiving death threats was gunned down a few metres from his home last week, report the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS).

United States

"NO HABEAS CORPUS" TOPS LIST OF CENSORED STORIES IN 2006-07

For the 31st year running, Project Censored has released the top 25 stories the U.S. news media missed in the past year. According to the "San Franciso Bay Guardian", the picture isn't pretty: together, the stories "present a chilling portrait of a newly empowered executive branch signing away civil liberties for the sake of an endless and amorphous war on terror."

Colombia

ASESINATO DE REPORTERO EXIGE UNA INVESTIGACIÓN ADECUADA, DICEN MIEMBROS DE IFEX

Mexico

MIEMBROS DE IFEX Y SOCIOS INTENSIFICAN ORGANIZACIÓN DE CAMPAÑA POR LA LIBERTAD DE PRENSA

Colombia

LE MEURTRE D'UN REPORTER NÉCESSITE UNE ENQUÊTE APPROPRIÉE, DISENT DES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX

Mexico

MEMBRES ET PARTENAIRES DE L'IFEX ACCENTUENT LEUR CAMPAGNE EN FAVEUR DE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE

Colombia

DES ATELIERS DE FLIPYS S'INTÉRESSENT À L'ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION ET AU JOURNALISME D'ENQUÊTE EN COLOMBIE

Colombia

REPORTER'S MURDER NEEDS PROPER INVESTIGATION, IFEX MEMBERS SAY

Police were too quick to dismiss that a Colombian journalist found stabbed to death last week was killed because of his work, say the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundacíon para la Libertad de Prensa, FLIP), the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto de Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and other rights groups.

Mexico

IFEX MEMBERS AND PARTNERS STEP UP PRESS FREEDOM CAMPAIGNING

In Mexico, now the second most dangerous country in the world for journalists after Iraq, press freedom advocates and journalists have teamed up to fight against free expression violations and restrictions in the country.

Colombia

FLIPYS WORKSHOPS ADDRESS ACCESS TO INFO AND INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM IN COLOMBIA

Alliance FLIPYS, a new partnership between the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundacíon para la Libertad de Prensa, FLIP) and the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) is running a series of workshops for journalists in Colombia on investigative journalism and access to information, with a special emphasis on how to uncover information on the "demobilised" paramilitaries.

United States

¡ACTÚE! PIDA QUE SAMI AL-HAJ SEA LIBERADO DE GUANTÁNAMO

Brazil

LIBRE EXPRESIÓN EN BRASIL NECESITA PROTECCIÓN, ENCUENTRA ARTICLE 19

Haiti

LA RUSSIE ET HAÏTI INTENSIFIENT LA LUTTE CONTRE L'IMPUNITÉ EN PRONONÇANT DES PEINES CONTRE LES ASSASSINS DE JOURNALISTES

United States

AGISSEZ ! DEMANDEZ LA REMISE EN LIBERTÉ DE SAMI AL-HAJ DE GUANTANAMO

Brazil

LA LIBRE EXPRESSION AU BRÉSIL DOIT ÊTRE PROTÉGÉE, CONSTATE ARTICLE 19

Haiti

RUSSIA AND HAITI INTENSIFY FIGHT AGAINST IMPUNITY BY CONVICTING JOURNALISTS' KILLERS

Five gang members have been convicted in Russia for the murder of journalist Igor Domnikov, the first time suspects have been prosecuted in a journalist's killing since Vladimir Putin became president in 2000, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). In Haiti, two life sentences were handed down to the murderers of journalist Jacques Roche, according to Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

United States

TAKE ACTION! CALL FOR SAMI AL-HAJ TO BE RELEASED FROM GUANTANAMO

Sudanese cameraman Sami al-Haj, who has been held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for more than five years without charge, is in failing health. Petitions continue to be organised worldwide demanding his release.

Brazil

FREE EXPRESSION IN BRAZIL NEEDS PROTECTION, ARTICLE 19 FINDS

Free expression in Brazil is "in need of immediate protection and action," an ARTICLE 19 mission to the country has found.

Paraguay

PERIODISTA CHILENO ASESINADA POR HOMBRES UNIFORMADOS

Canada

POLICÍA USA PROVOCADORES EN MANIFESTACIONES

Paraguay

UN JOURNALISTE CHILIEN EST ASSASSINÉ PAR DES INDIVIDUS EN UNIFORME

Canada

LA POLICE A RECOURS À DES AGENTS PROVOCATEURS LORS D'UNE MANIFESTATION

Paraguay

CHILEAN JOURNALIST KILLED BY UNIFORMED MEN

A Chilean radio reporter was shot dead in Paraguay last week by two men wearing military uniforms, report the Paraguayan Union of Journalists (Sindicato de Periodistas del Paraguay, SPP), Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and international press freedom groups.

Canada

POLICE USE AGENTS PROVOCATEURS AT PROTEST

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) has voiced concern that police disguising themselves as protesters at a North American leaders' summit acted like agents provocateurs by provoking violence from within the crowd.

Paraguay

CONDENAN A AUTOR INTELECTUAL DE ASESINATO DE REPORTERO PARAGUAYO

Haiti

CREAN COMISIÓN PARA INVESTIGAR ASESINATOS DE PERIODISTAS

Paraguay

LE CERVEAU RESPONSABLE DU MEURTRE D'UN REPORTER PARAGUAYEN EST RECONNU COUPABLE

Haiti

MISE SUR PIED D'UNE COMMISSION D'ENQUÊTE SUR LES MEURTRES DE JOURNALISTES

Paraguay

MASTERMIND BEHIND MURDER OF PARAGUAYAN REPORTER CONVICTED

A mastermind of the 2004 murder of Paraguayan journalist Samuel Román has been convicted and sentenced to more than 17 years in jail, the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) reports.

Haiti

COMMISSION LAUNCHED TO INVESTIGATE JOURNALIST MURDERS

An independent committee will be set up to investigate the unsolved murders of journalists in Haiti, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports.

United States

EDITOR MUERTO POR ARTÍCULO QUE CRITICABA A PANADERÍA

Venezuela

SUPREMA MANTIENE VIVA A RCTV POR AHORA

United States

UN RÉDACTEUR EST TUÉ POUR UN ARTICLE QUI CRITIQUAIT UNE PÂTISSERIE

Venezuela

LA COUR SUPRÊME GARDE RCTV EN VIE POUR LE MOMENT

United States

EDITOR KILLED FOR ARTICLE CRITICISING BAKERY

A newspaper editor was shot to death on a downtown street in California for writing negative reports of a local bakery, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports.

Venezuela

SUPREME COURT KEEPS RCTV ALIVE FOR NOW

Venezuela's Supreme Court ruled that TV channel Radio Caracas Television (RCTV) will remain on cable and satellite for the moment, acting just hours before a government deadline that could have taken it off the air for the second time in two months, report Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontieres, RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

El Salvador

LA POLICE UTILISE LA LOI ANTITERRORISTE POUR RÉPRIMER LES PROTESTATIONS

El Salvador

POLICÍA USA LEY ANTITERRORISMO PARA SUPRIMIR MANIFESTACIÓN

El Salvador

POLICE USE ANTI-TERROR LAW TO SUPPRESS PROTEST

Amnesty International is "deeply concerned" that the police improperly used new anti-terrorist legislation to punish demonstrators protesting against government plans to privatise water distribution in El Salvador.

Mexico

GOBIERNO MEXICANO ES INEFICAZ PARA PROTEGER PERIODISTAS, DICEN MIEMBROS DE IFEX

Mexico

LE GOUVERNEMENT MEXICAIN INCAPABLE DE PROTÉGER LES JOURNALISTES, DISENT LES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX

Mexico

MEXICAN GOVERNMENT INEFFECTIVE IN PROTECTING JOURNALISTS, SAY IFEX MEMBERS

Mexico is the second most dangerous country after Iraq for journalists, and the Mexican government is to blame for being grossly ineffective in protecting journalists and the right to freedom of expression, five IFEX members and three other human rights groups told the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).

Paraguay

UN REPORTER DE LA RADIO EST RETROUVÉ VIVANT 17 MOIS APRÈS ÊTRE DISPARU

Paraguay

ENCUENTRAN VIVO A REPORTERO DE RADIO 17 MESES DESPUÉS DE DESAPARICIÓN

Paraguay

RADIO REPORTER FOUND ALIVE 17 MONTHS AFTER DISAPPEARING

A Paraguayan radio reporter who disappeared shortly after denouncing the connection between the mafia and local politicians in his home town was found alive in Brazil 17 months later, report the Union of Paraguayan Journalists (Sindicato de Periodistas del Paraguay, SPP) and other press freedom groups.

Ecuador

PRESIDENTE CORTA ACCESO A LOS MEDIOS; LEYES DE INJURIA PODRÍAN ENCARCELAR A PERIODISTAS

Ecuador

LE PRÉSIDENT BLOQUE L'ACCÈS AUX MÉDIAS; LES LOIS SUR LES INSULTES POURRAIENT FAIRE INCARCÉRER DES JOURNALISTES

Ecuador

PRESIDENT CUTS MEDIA ACCESS; INSULT LAWS COULD JAIL JOURNALISTS

After a series of missteps with Ecuadorean media, President Rafael Correa has announced he will no longer give news conferences, according to Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF). Meanwhile he continues to invoke an insult law in suing a newspaper editor over a critical editorial.

Venezuela

PERIODISTAS MARCHAN PARA APOYAR A RCTV

Venezuela

LES JOURNALISTES MARCHENT EN FAVEUR DE RCTV

Venezuela

JOURNALISTS MARCH FOR RCTV

Journalists in Venezuela used National Journalists' Day on 27 June to demand that President Hugo Chavez reverse his decision to take the country's oldest broadcaster, Radio Caracas Television (RCTV), off the air.

Mexico

TROIS MEMBRES DE L'IFEX DEMANDENT DES LOIS DÉMOCRATIQUES SUR LES MÉDIAS COMMUNAUTAIRES

Mexico

TRES MIEMBROS DE IFEX PIDEN LEYES DE MEDIOS COMUNITARIOS DEMOCRÁTICAS

Mexico

THREE IFEX MEMBERS CALL FOR DEMOCRATIC COMMUNITY MEDIA LAWS

IFEX members ARTICLE 19, the National Centre for Social Communications (Centro Nacional de Comunicacíon Social, CENCOS) and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) are demanding that Congress proceed with major reforms to the Radio and Television Law that would allow for more diversity in the media.

Uruguay

PARLAMENTO APOYA LEY DE MEDIOS COMUNITARIOS DEMOCRÁTICOS

United States

¡ACTÚE! SALVE A MEDIACHANNEL.ORG

Bolivia

PRENSA BOLIVIANA ESTÁ LIBRE PERO OBSTACULIZADA POR CRÍTICAS DEL PRESIDENTE, ENCUENTRA EL CPJ

Uruguay

LE PARLEMENT APPUIE LA LOI SUR LES MÉDIAS COMMUNAUTAIRES DÉMOCRATIQUES

United States

AGISSEZ ! SAUVONS MEDIACHANNEL.ORG

Bolivia

LA PRESSE BOLIVIENNE EST LIBRE MAIS ELLE EST ENTRAVÉE PAR LES CRITIQUES DU PRÉSIDENT, CONSTATE LE CPJ

Uruguay

PARLIAMENT SUPPORTS DEMOCRATIC COMMUNITY MEDIA LAW

A draft community media law that says television and radio frequencies in Uruguay should be equitably distributed won overwhelming support in the House of Representatives last week, report the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

United States

TAKE ACTION! SAVE MEDIACHANNEL.ORG

After seven and a half years, MediaChannel.Org (http://www.mediachannel.org), the United States-based media monitoring network, is threatening to close its doors because of lack of funds.

Bolivia

BOLIVIAN PRESS IS FREE, BUT HAMPERED BY PRESIDENT’S CRITICISM, CPJ FINDS

Despite a relatively open press climate, Bolivian President Evo Morales is too "thin-skinned" and is making reporters' working conditions increasingly difficult, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) found on a recent week-long mission to the country.

Mexico

L'ANNÉE 2006 AURA ÉTÉ LA PIRE DE L'HISTOIRE POUR LES MÉDIAS MEXICAINS, CONCLUT UN RAPPORT

Mexico

EL AÑO 2006 FUE EL PEOR PARA MEDIOS DE MÉXICO, AFIRMA INFORME

Mexico

2006 WORST YEAR YET FOR MEXICO'S MEDIA, REPORT FINDS

State authorities, armed groups and drug cartels made 2006 the worst year on record for Mexico's media, say ARTICLE 19, the National Center for Social Communication (Centro Nacional de Comunicación Social, CENCOS), Fundación Manuel Buendía, and Mexico's press union (Sindicato Nacional de redactores de la prensa, SNRP) in their annual assessment of press freedom in the country.

Venezuela

LA FERMETURE DE RCTV ACCENTUE LE CLIVAGE POLITIQUE

Haiti

UN DEUXIÈME REPORTER DE LA RADIO EST TUÉ EN MOINS D'UNE SEMAINE

Colombia

EN COLOMBIE, LES PARAMILITAIRES « DÉMOBILISÉS » SE MOQUENT DE TOUT, CONSTATE RSF

Venezuela

CIERRE DE RCTV PROFUNDIZA DIVISIÓN POLÍTICA

Haiti

SEGUNDO REPORTERO DE RADIO ASESINADO EN UNA SEMANA

Colombia

PARAMILITARES "DESMOVILIZADOS" EN COLOMBIA QUEDAN IMPUNES POR ASESINATO, ENCUENTRA RSF

Venezuela

CLOSURE OF RCTV DEEPENS POLITICAL DIVIDE

Tens of thousands of citizens took to the street - some to celebrate, others to protest - after Venezuela's oldest television network lost its licence and went off the air on Sunday, prompting numerous IFEX members to comment that President Hugo Chávez was limiting freedom of expression.

Haiti

SECOND RADIO REPORTER KILLED IN A WEEK

A popular radio host was kidnapped and killed in Port-au-Prince, the second radio personality gunned down in Haiti in a week, according to Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Colombia

"DEMOBILISED" PARAMILITARIES IN COLOMBIA GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER, RSF FINDS

What happened to the 30,000 paramilitaries recruited in Colombia in the 1980s to help fight the war on far-left guerrilla groups, supposedly "demobilised" by President Alvaro Uribe from 2003 to 2006? Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontieres, RSF) has found that nearly a quarter of them are still active - and behind some of the deadliest crimes against journalists in the country.

Haiti

REPORTERO DE RADIO BALEADO Y MUERTO

Bolivia

PERIODISMO EN CRISIS EN BOLIVIA, ENCUENTRA INFORME DE IMS

Haiti

UN REPORTER DE LA RADIO EST ABATTU

Bolivia

LE JOURNALISME TRAVERSE UNE CRISE EN BOLIVIE, CONCLUT UN RAPPORT DE L'IMS

Haiti

RADIO REPORTER SHOT TO DEATH

A radio reporter was gunned down outside his wife's house in northern Haiti last week, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

Bolivia

JOURNALISM IN CRISIS IN BOLIVIA, IMS REPORT FINDS

Growing tensions among regional, ethnic and economic groups in Bolivia are being reflected in the media to the detriment of the country's unity, International Media Support (IMS) has found in a recent report.

South America

ARTICLE 19 LAUNCHES ACCESS TO INFORMATION ONLINE GUIDE

Want to expose corruption, unearth environmental hazards, uncover mismanagement of food supplies but don't know where to start? Learn your rights on how to get information with ARTICLE 19's latest online publication, "Guide for a Campaign in Favour of the Right to Access Information in Latin America", available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

South America

WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY MARRED BY VIOLENCE

On World Press Freedom Day (3 May), as journalists converged in Colombia for the UN's official celebration to call for greater unity to protect their colleagues and to fight impunity against their attackers, a radio producer was gunned down in Guatemala City. Two days later, a Brazilian reporter was shot to death.

Mexico

DES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX FONT CAMPAGNE CONTRE LES PUISSANCES EN PLACE; UN REPORTER EST ASSASSINÉ

Mexico

MIEMBROS DE IFEX HACEN CAMPAÑAS CONTRA PODERES PARALELOS; REPORTERO ASESINADO

Mexico

IFEX MEMBERS CAMPAIGN AGAINST RULING POWERS; REPORTER MURDERED

The same day that Latin American members of the International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX) gathered in Mexico City to discuss how to hold the "poderes paralelos", or "ruling powers", to account for the increase in attacks on the media, a journalist was kidnapped in the northwestern part of the country. He was found murdered a week later, on 23 April, according to Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Mexico

UN CORRESPONDANT DE LA TÉLÉVISION ABATTU DANS UNE VAGUE D'HOMICIDES

United States

UN BLOGUEUR EST LIBÉRÉ APRÈS 224 JOURS DE PRISON

Honduras

C-LIBRE ENQUÊTE SUR LA LIBRE EXPRESSION AU HONDURAS

Mexico

CORRESPONSAL DE TV BALEADO EN MEDIO DE OLA DE ASESINATOS

United States

AUTOR DE BLOG LIBERADO DESPUÉS DE 224 DÍAS EN LA CÁRCEL

Honduras

C-LIBRE INVESTIGA LIBRE EXPRESIÓN EN HONDURAS

Mexico

TV CORRESPONDENT GUNNED DOWN AMID WAVE OF KILLINGS

Press groups worldwide are demanding justice for a TV correspondent who was gunned down in southern Mexico on 6 April in an apparent premeditated hit. His murder added to a flurry of killings across the country that left 14 dead in a 24-hour period.

United States

BLOGGER RELEASED AFTER 224 DAYS IN PRISON

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) welcomed the release last week of a blogger who had spent more time in jail than any other journalist in the United States because he wanted to protect his sources.

Honduras

C-LIBRE INVESTIGATES FREE EXPRESSION IN HONDURAS

Free expression and access to information were severely curtailed in a number of ways in Honduras in 2006, says the Committee for Free Expression (El Comité por la Libre Expresión, C-Libre) annual report, according to its partner Probidad, an IFEX member.

Panama

LES CONTRAINTES À L'INFORMATION OUTRAGENT LES GROUPES DE DÉFENSE DE LA LIBRE EXPRESSION

Chile

APRÈS UN TOLLÉ DE PROTESTATIONS, LA COUR SUPRÊME DOIT RESCINDER LES RESTRICTIONS IMPOSÉES À LA PRESSE

Haiti

SEPT ANS D'IMPUNITÉ POUR LES ASSASSINS D'UN JOURNALISTE

Panama

RESTRICCIONES A INFORMACIÓN ESCANDALIZAN A GRUPOS DE LIBRE EXPRESIÓN

Chile

OBLIGAN A SUPREMA CORTE A RESCINDIR RESTRICCIONES DE PRENSA DEBIDO A INDIGNACIÓN DEL PÚBLICO

Haiti

SIETE AÑOS DE IMPUNIDAD PARA ASESINOS DE PERIODISTA

Panama

INFORMATION CONSTRAINTS OUTRAGE FREE EXPRESSION GROUPS

The President's decision to sign into law articles that will seriously undermine the right to information has enraged free expression groups worldwide, including ARTICLE 19 and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Chile

SUPREME COURT FORCED TO RESCIND PRESS RESTRICTIONS FOLLOWING PUBLIC OUTCRY

Chile's Supreme Court rescinded its decision to restrict journalists' access to court proceedings and public buildings following an outcry in the country's press, reports Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF), which joined the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) in condemning the policy.

Haiti

SEVEN YEARS OF IMPUNITY FOR JOURNALIST'S KILLERS

On the seventh anniversary of the murder of popular radio journalist Jean Dominique, his killers have escaped with impunity, reports Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Nicaragua

LE PRÉSIDENT PROMET D'ÉLIMINER LES OBSTACLES AUX MÉDIAS COMMUNAUTAIRES

Nicaragua

PRESIDENTE PROMETE ELIMINAR BARRERAS PARA MEDIOS COMUNITARIOS

South America

VIOLENCE AGAINST JOURNALISTS THREATENS PRESS FREEDOM IN LATIN AMERICA

Journalist safety has deteriorated considerably in the past six months in Latin America: six journalists were killed in Mexico, one in Haiti and most recently a journalist in Peru, with many more journalists receiving death threats and being abused, report free expression organisations across the region.

Nicaragua

PRESIDENT PROMISES TO ELIMINATE BARRIERS FOR COMMUNITY MEDIA

Nicaragua's president has agreed to waive licence fees for community-based and other small media and to allocate government advertising contracts equitably, reports the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC).

Peru

REPORTERO DE RADIO BALEADO EN APARENTE ASESINATO POR ENCARGO

Peru

UN REPORTER DE LA RADIO EST ABATTU DANS CE QUI A TOUT L'AIR D'ÊTRE UN MEURTRE COMMANDITÉ

Peru

RADIO REPORTER GUNNED DOWN IN APPARENT CONTRACT KILLING

A radio journalist gunned down in front of his family may have been killed because of his work, report the Institute for Press and Society (Institute Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the International Freedom of Journalists affiliate Asociación Nacional de Periodistas del Perú (ANP).

Mexico

ARTICLE 19 ENCUENTRA QUE LIBERTAD DE EXPRESIÓN EN EL PAÍS SIGUE LIMITADA

Guatemala

NUEVA LEY SOCAVA ESTACIONES DE RADIO COMUNITARIAS

Mexico

ARTICLE 19 CONSTATE QUE LA LIBERTÉ D'EXPRESSION EST TOUJOURS LIMITÉE DANS LE PAYS

Guatemala

UNE NOUVELLE LOI MENAÇANTE POUR LES STATIONS DE RADIO COMMUNAUTAIRE

Mexico

ARTICLE 19 MISSION FINDS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION STILL LIMITED

Despite ground-breaking steps by the Mexican government to broaden access to information, freedom of the media in the country remains "particularly troubling and worrisome," an ARTICLE 19 mission has found.

Guatemala

NEW LAW UNDERMINES COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS

The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) has formally complained to the Organization of American States (OAS) that a recent Guatemalan decree threatens freedom of expression, indigenous cultural rights and peasant communities. On 8 February, the government approved a decree "to resolve the issue of illegal radio stations" that reinforces the practice of closing unlicenced community radio stations and imprisoning their operators.

Panama

UN PROJET DE LOI MENAÇANT POUR LA LIBRE EXPRESSION SUR LE POINT DE DEVENIR LOI

Mexico

ON EXIGE LA PROTECTION DES STATIONS DE RADIO COMMUNAUTAIRE

Panama

PROYECTO DE LEY QUE AMENAZA LIBRE EXPRESIÓN ESTÁ CERCA DE CONVERTIRSE EN LEY

Mexico

PIDEN PROTECCIÓN PARA ESTACIONES DE RADIO COMUNITARIAS

Panama

BILL THREATENING FREE EXPRESSION CLOSER TO BECOMING LAW

Proposals to reform Panama's Criminal Code that seriously threaten freedom of expression and information have received a second reading in the National Assembly, ARTICLE 19 reports.

Mexico

PROTECTION URGED FOR COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS

Following increased threats and attacks on community radio stations in Mexico, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IAHCR) has urged the Mexican government to ensure the safety of community radio workers and protect their freedom of expression.

United States

LES CLIMATOLOGUES DU GOUVERNEMENT FÉDÉRAL SONT MUSELÉS

Colombia

LES MÉDIAS BAIGNENT DANS UN « CLIMAT DE TERREUR »

United States

SILENCIAN A METEORÓLOGOS FEDERALES

Colombia

"CLIMA DE ZOZOBRA" IMPERA EN MEDIOS

Brazil

FOTÓGRAFO BALEADO

Brazil

UN PHOTOGRAPHE EST ASSASSINÉ

United States

FEDERAL CLIMATE SCIENTISTS MUZZLED

PEN American Center has joined eight prominent free expression and academic organisations in calling for more congressional monitoring of the censorship of government scientists in the United States, following a government hearing in January 2007 that examined allegations that officials edited scientific reports and took other actions to downplay the significance of climate change.

Colombia

"CLIMATE OF TERROR" PERVADES MEDIA

In Colombia, a "climate of terror" plagued the media in 2006, a year in which press freedom violations rose sharply, a new report by the Bogotá-based Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa, FLIP) has revealed.

Brazil

PHOTOGRAPHER GUNNED DOWN

Police in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are investigating the murder of a freelance photographer who had received threats prior to his death, report the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Peru

AUMENTAN VIOLACIONES A LA LIBERTAD DE PRENSA

Peru

LES VIOLATIONS DE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE SE MULTIPLIENT

Haiti

UN PHOTOGRAPHE PERD LA VIE

Haiti

FOTÓGRAFO MUERTO

Peru

PRESS FREEDOM VIOLATIONS INCREASE

In Peru, the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) has released its annual press freedom report, saying the number of reported attacks on the press rose significantly in 2006 compared to the previous year.

Haiti

PHOTOGRAPHER KILLED

Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have called on Haitian authorities to thoroughly investigate the murder of photographer Jean-Rémy Badio, who was killed on 19 January 2007 in the capital Port-au-Prince.

Uruguay

UN EXPERT DE L'OEA APPUIE LES LOIS SUR LA RADIO COMMUNAUTAIRE ET LA LIBERTÉ D'ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION

Venezuela

UNE STATION DE TÉLÉVISION HOSTILE À CHÁVEZ POURRAIT PERDRE SON PERMIS D'EXPLOITATION

Uruguay

EXPERTO DE OEA APOYA RADIO COMUNITARIA Y LEYES DE ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN

Venezuela

ESTACIÓN DE TV ANTICHAVISTA PUEDE PERDER LICENCIA

Uruguay

OAS EXPERT SUPPORTS COMMUNITY RADIO AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION LAWS

In Uruguay, proposed legislation that would legally recognise community media and give citizens the right to access government-held information have received a boost of support from the Organization of American States' (OAS) Special Rapporteur on Free Expression.

Venezuela

ANTI-CHÁVEZ TV STATION MAY LOSE LICENCE

A decision by the Venezuelan government not to renew the licence of one of the country's oldest private broadcasters has prompted calls of concern from the Institute of Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Press Institute (IPI), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

Mexico

NUEVE PERIODISTAS MUERTOS EN 2006

Mexico

NEUF JOURNALISTES TUÉS EN 2006

Mexico

NINE JOURNALISTS KILLED IN 2006

It has been a bloody year for journalists in Mexico, with nine killed in 2006, according to Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Mexico

MÉXICO ENCUENTRAN MUERTO A PERIODISTA DESAPARECIDO

Honduras

CONGRESO APRUEBA LEY DE ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN

Mexico

UN JOURNALISTE QUI ÉTAIT PORTÉ DISPARU EST TROUVÉ MORT

Honduras

LE CONGRÈS APPROUVE LA LOI SUR L'ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION

Mexico

MISSING JOURNALIST FOUND SLAIN

Police in the Mexican state of Veracruz are investigating the circumstances surrounding the murder of reporter Adolfo Sánchez Guzmán, whose body was found near Mendoza on 30 November 2006.

Honduras

CONGRESS APPROVES ACCESS TO INFORMATION LAW

Honduras has joined the growing number of Latin American countries that have passed access to information laws, reports Probidad. On 23 November 2006, congress approved the Transparency and Access to Public Information Law (Ley de Transparencia y Acceso a la Información Pública).

United States

AGISSEZ ! UN CAMÉRAMAN D'AL-JAZIRAH EST DÉTENU À GUANTÁNAMO

Mexico

LE NOMBRE DES MEURTRES DE JOURNALISTES CONTINUE DE S'ACCROÎTRE

Mexico

ASESINATOS DE PERIODISTAS CONTINÚAN EN ASCENSO

Mexico

OTRO PERIODISTA ASESINADO

United States

TAKE ACTION! AL-JAZEERA CAMERAMAN DETAINED AT GUANTANAMO BAY

28 November 2006

Mexico

MURDERS OF JOURNALISTS CONTINUE TO RISE

In Mexico, at least five journalists have been killed this year, prompting IFEX members to express serious concern for press freedom in the country. On 21 November 2006, Roberto Marcos García became the latest casualty, the third in November alone.

Mexico

UN AUTRE JOURNALISTE EST ASSASSINÉ

Mexico

ANOTHER JOURNALIST KILLED

Eleven days after journalist Misuel Tamayo Hernández was found dead in a motel room in Zihuatanejo in the Mexican state of Guerrero, another journalist has been killed, report the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Mexico

ASESINAN A EDITOR DE DIARIO EN ESTADO DE GUERRERO

Mexico

LE RÉDACTEUR EN CHEF D'UN QUOTIDIEN DE L'ÉTAT DE GUERRERO EST ASSASSINÉ

Mexico

EDITOR OF GUERRERO STATE DAILY MURDERED

Misael Tamayo Hernández, editor and owner of the daily "El Despertar de la Costa", was found dead in a motel room in Zihuatanejo, a Pacific coastal resort town in the southern state of Guerrero, on 10 November 2006, report the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Argentina

SUBVENCIÓN APOYA BATALLA LEGAL DE AUTOR DE LIBRO SOBRE GUERRA SUCIA

Peru

LEY DE ONG PROPUESTA ONG AMENAZA LIBRE EXPRESIÓN

Argentina

UNE SUBVENTION POUR SOUTENIR LA BATAILLE JUDICIAIRE DE L'AUTEUR DE « LA SALE GUERRE »

Peru

LA PROPOSITION DE LOI SUR LES ONG MENACE LA LIBRE EXPRESSION

Chile

LA COUR INTERAMÉRICAINE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME RECONNAÎT LE DROIT D'ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION

Chile

TRIBUNAL INTERAMERICANO RECONOCE DERECHOS DE ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN

Argentina

GRANT SUPPORTS "DIRTY WAR" AUTHOR'S LEGAL BATTLE

In a legal battle that could have important implications for free expression in Argentina, a journalist facing civil defamation charges for accusing former armed forces and police officers of torture and murder during the "Dirty War" is receiving international support, thanks to the World Press Freedom Committee (WPFC) and eight other press freedom organisations.

Peru

PROPOSED NGO LAW THREATENS FREE EXPRESSION

The Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS), Human Rights Watch, the World Press Freedom Committee (WPFC) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) have expressed alarm at proposed amendments to a law in Peru that gives the government powers to deny foreign funds to free expression groups and thousands of other non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Paraguay

¡ACTÚE! PARAGUAY: PERIODISTA DESAPARECIDO

Mexico

PERIODISTA MUERTO Y FOTÓGRAFO HERIDO EN ENFRENTAMIENTOS EN OAXACA

Colombia

MISIÓN INTERNACIONAL APOYA MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIÓN LOCALES

Paraguay

AGISSEZ ! PARAGUAY : UN JOURNALISTE EST PORTÉ DISPARU

Colombia

UNE MISSION INTERNATIONALE APPUIE LES MÉDIAS LOCAUX

Mexico

UN JOURNALISTE EST ASSASSINÉ ET UN PHOTOGRAPHE BLESSÉ DANS DES AFFRONTEMENTS À OAXACA

Brazil

RADIO POLITIZADA FOMENTA VIOLENCIA CONTRA PERIODISTAS

Brazil

LA RADIO POLITISÉE ALIMENTE LA VIOLENCE CONTRE LES JOURNALISTES

Paraguay

TAKE ACTION! PARAGUAY: JOURNALIST MISSING

31 October 2006

Colombia

INTERNATIONAL MISSION SUPPORTS LOCAL MEDIA

An international mission of press freedom and free expression organisations has urged the Colombian government to provide more protection for threatened journalists, curb media concentration, reform laws that restrict independent media, and improve working conditions for journalists.

Mexico

JOURNALIST KILLED, PHOTOGRAPHER WOUNDED IN OAXACA CLASHES

A U.S. journalist has been killed and a Mexican photographer wounded in the state of Oaxaca while covering clashes between protesters and paramilitary groups linked to the ruling provincial PRI party, report the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontieres, RSF) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

Brazil

POLITICISED RADIO FOSTERS VIOLENCE AGAINST JOURNALISTS

Brazil's impoverished Northeast region, where radio is the most popular news medium, has become known as one of the most dangerous areas for journalists in the Americas, with five journalists killed since 2000, says the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Chile

INTER-AMERICAN COURT RECOGNISES ACCESS TO INFORMATION RIGHTS

For the first time ever, an international tribunal has recognised access to government-held information as a basic human right. On 11 October 2006, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights confirmed the existence of such a right in a case pitting the Chilean government against three environmental activists who sought information on a controversial logging project, report the Open Society Justice Initiative and Access Info Europe.

United States

LE PEN TIRE LA SONNETTE D'ALARME SUR LA SURVEILLANCE GOUVERNEMENTALE

United States

PEN DA VOZ DE ALARMA POR ESPIONAJE GUBERNAMENTAL

United States

PEN RAISES ALARM OVER GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE

PEN American Center (PEN) has joined more than 1,100 writers and free expression advocates in the United States to raise grave concerns over government surveillance and threats against the press, saying authorities are intruding too much on privacy in the name of national security.

Colombia

UN FESTIVAL DE POÉSIE COLOMBIENNE REMPORTE LE « NOBEL ALTERNATIF »

Colombia

FESTIVAL DE POESÍA COLOMBIANA GANA "NOBEL ALTERNATIVO"

Colombia

COLOMBIAN POETRY FESTIVAL WINS "ALTERNATIVE NOBEL"

The International Poetry Festival of Medellín in Colombia has been named co-winner of the 2006 Right Livelihood Award for "showing how creativity, beauty, free expression and community can flourish amongst and overcome deeply entrenched fear and violence."

Bolivia

SIP INSTA A INCLUIR GARANTÍAS PARA LIBERTAD DE PALABRA EN NUEVA CONSTITUCIÓN

Bolivia

LA SIP DEMANDE INSTAMMENT L'INCLUSION DANS LA NOUVELLE CONSTITUTION DE GARANTIES POUR PRÉSERVER LA LIBERTÉ DE PAROLE

Guatemala

LES ATTAQUES CONTRE LES JOURNALISTES SÈMENT L'INQUIÉTUDE

Guatemala

AGRESIONES CONTRA PERIODISTAS CAUSAN ALARMA

Bolivia

IAPA URGES FREE SPEECH GUARANTEES IN NEW CONSTITUTION

As Bolivian lawmakers begin the process of drafting a new constitution for the country, the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) has joined the National Press Association (ANP) in calling for strong guarantees of protection for free expression and press freedom rights.

Guatemala

ATTACKS ON JOURNALISTS CAUSE ALARM

The Centre for Reports on Guatemala (Centro de Reportes Informativos sobre Guatemala), the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have voiced concerns over a series of attacks on journalists in Guatemala. In the past three weeks, a reporter has been murdered, another shot and two others threatened.

Venezuela

PERIODISTA ASESINADO

Mexico

MANIFESTANTES TOMAN ESTACIONES DE RADIO

Colombia

SEGUNDO PERIODISTA ASESINADO EN UN MES

Venezuela

ASSASSINAT D'UN JOURNALISTE

Mexico

DES PROTESTATAIRES S'EMPARENT DE STATIONS DE RADIO

Colombia

UN DEUXIÈME JOURNALISTE EST ASSASSINÉ EN UN MOIS

Venezuela

JOURNALIST MURDERED

Venezuelan authorities have been urged to conduct a thorough investigation into the murder of journalist Jesús Flores Rojas, who was gunned down by an unidentified man on 23 August 2006 in the eastern town of El Tigre.

Mexico

PROTESTERS SEIZE RADIO STATIONS

In the Mexican state of Oaxaca, one of the poorest in the country, tensions are high following the takeover of 12 private radio stations by demonstrators protesting low teaching wages and government corruption, report the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS).

Colombia

SECOND JOURNALIST KILLED IN A MONTH

Atilano Segundo Pérez Barrios, a commentator for Radio Vigía de Todelar in the northern Colombian city of Cartegena, was shot dead in his apartment on 22 August 2006, becoming the second journalist killed in the country in the past month, reported the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Brazil

¡ACTÚE! BRASIL: SIP LANZA CAMPAÑA DE ENVÍO DE CARTAS A CAUSA DE EDITOR ASESINADO

Colombia

PRESENTADOR DE RADIO BALEADO

Mexico

REPORTERO VETERANO ASESINADO

Guyana

PISTOLEROS MATAN A CINCO EMPLEADOS DE PERIÓDICO

Brazil

AGISSEZ ! BRÉSIL : LA SIP LANCE UNE CAMPAGNE ÉPISTOLAIRE EN FAVEUR D'UN JOURNALISTE ASSASSINÉ

Colombia

UN PRÉSENTATEUR DE LA RADIO EST ABATTU

Mexico

UN REPORTER CHEVRONNÉ EST ASSASSINÉ

Guyana

DES INDIVIDUS ARMÉS TUENT CINQ PERSONNES QUI TRAVAILLAIENT POUR DES JOURNAUX

Brazil

TAKE ACTION! BRAZIL: IAPA LAUNCHES LETTER CAMPAIGN FOR SLAIN EDITOR

15 August 2006

Colombia

RADIO PRESENTER GUNNED DOWN

Colombian authorities have been urged to thoroughly investigate the murder of community radio presenter Milton Fabián Sánchez, who was shot dead by gunmen on 9 August 2006 in the southeastern city of Yumbo.

Mexico

VETERAN REPORTER MURDERED

Mexican authorities are investigating the death of Enrique Perea Quintanilla on 9 August 2006 in the city of Chihuahua to determine whether he was killed for his work as a journalist, report the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Guyana

GUNMEN KILL FIVE NEWSPAPER WORKERS

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) have condemned the killing of five employees of "Kaieteur News", the highest-circulation daily newspaper in Guyana.

Brazil

DOS PERIODISTAS MUERTOS EN UNA SEMANA

Brazil

DEUX JOURNALISTES TUÉS EN UNE SEMAINE

Brazil

TWO JOURNALISTS KILLED IN ONE WEEK

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) have urged authorities in Brazil to conduct thorough investigations into the deaths of two journalists who were murdered last week.

Venezuela

LA SIP SOUTIENT QUE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE SE « DÉTÉRIORE »

Venezuela

SIP DICE QUE LIBERTAD DE PRENSA "SE ESTÁ DETERIORANDO"

Venezuela

IAPA SAYS PRESS FREEDOM "DETERIORATING"

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) has expressed concern that press freedom in Venezuela may become more restricted in the run-up to presidential elections in December 2006. Following a mission to the country on 17-19 July, the organisation said press freedom conditions have deteriorated sharply, marked by restrictive laws, prosecution of journalists and a hostile attitude toward private media outlets.

United States

Des doyens d'écoles de journalisme des États-unis se portent à la défense de la publication des "secrets" de l'administration Bush

United States

U.S. Journalism Deans Defend Publication of Bush Administration "Secrets"

18 July 2006

Mexico

INSTAN A CANDIDATOS PRESIDENCIALES A PROMOVER TRANSPARENCIA

Mexico

LES CANDIDATS À LA PRÉSIDENCE SONT PRIÉS DE PRENDRE POSITION EN FAVEUR DE LA TRANSPARENCE

Mexico

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES URGED TO PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY

As Mexicans await the final results of the most closely contested presidential election in the country's history, the National Centre for Social Communication (Centro Nacional de Comunicación Social, CENCOS) and ARTICLE 19 have joined 13 other civil society organisations in urging the new government to publicly pledge its commitment to transparency, accountability and the right to access information.

Panama

PROYECTO DE ENMIENDAS DE DIFAMACIÓN PENAL CAUSA ALARMA

Panama

DES PROPOSITIONS DE MODIFICATIONS AUX LOIS SUR LA DIFFAMATION PÉNALE SOULÈVENT L’INQUIÉTUDE

Panama

CRIMINAL DEFAMATION AMENDMENTS CAUSE ALARM

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) are expressing alarm at a bill drafted by Panamanian lawmakers, under which prison terms for defamation would be doubled and penalties drastically increased.

United States

RSF DOCUMENTA DIFÍCIL SITUACIÓN DE PERIODISTAS DETENIDOS EN BASES ESTADOUNIDENSES

Costa Rica

DES LOIS ARCHAÏQUES SUR LA DIFFAMATION ENTRAVENT LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE

Costa Rica

ARCHAIC DEFAMATION LAWS HAMPER PRESS FREEDOM

Outdated defamation laws used to silence critical journalism in Costa Rica are incompatible with international human rights standards and fly in the face of recent rulings by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, say the World Press Freedom Committee (WPFC), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

United States

Legisladores estadounidenses forman bloque de libertad de prensa

United States

Des législateurs américains forment un groupe parlementaire consacré à la liberté de la presse

United States

U.S. Lawmakers Form Press Freedom Caucus

6 June 2006

Cuba

PERIODISTAS CUBANOS INDEPENDIENTES PERSEVERAN A PESAR DE OFENSIVA

Cuba

LES JOURNALISTES CUBAINS INDÉPENDANTS PERSÉVÈRENT EN DÉPIT DE LA RÉPRESSION

Venezuela

LE NOMBRE DES VIOLATIONS DE LA LIBRE EXPRESSION DÉCLINE AU VENEZUELA, DIT L'IPYS

Venezuela

VIOLACIONES A LA LIBERTAD DE EXPRESIÓN DESCIENDEN EN VENEZUELA: IPYS

Cuba

INDEPENDENT CUBAN JOURNALISTS PERSEVERE DESPITE CRACKDOWN

Three years after the Cuban government launched a large-scale crackdown on dissidents and journalists, Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) has produced a report examining the state of press freedom in the country.

Venezuela

FREE EXPRESSION VIOLATIONS DECLINE IN VENEZUELA: IPYS

Free expression violations in Venezuela in 2005 declined by more than 50 per cent compared to the previous year, but the number of individuals affected increased, according to a new report co-authored by the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS).

Colombia

HAUSSE DU NOMBRE DES AGRESSIONS CONTRE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE

Colombia

PRESS FREEDOM ATTACKS ON THE RISE

Press freedom violations in Colombia increased significantly in the first four months of this year, compared to the same period in 2005, due in part to a spate of attacks on the media during the March 2006 elections, the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación par la Libertad de Prensa, FLIP) has found in a new report.

Mexico

LES RÉFORMES DU DROIT DES MÉDIAS BIEN ACCUEILLIES

Mexico

ENCOMIAN LEY DE MEDIOS

Mexico

MEDIA LAW REFORMS HAILED

Mexico's Chamber of Deputies has passed two bills that would eliminate criminal defamation, libel and slander laws from federal statutes, and protect journalists from being forced to reveal their sources to authorities, a move applauded by the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Venezuela

FOTÓGRAFO BALEADO

Venezuela

UN PHOTOGRAPHE EST ABATTU

Peru

ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN ES VITAL PARA MEJORAR LA SALUD REPRODUCTIVA Y SEXUAL: ARTICLE 19

Chile

IPYS Y ARTICLE 19 PRESENTAN INFORME ANTE TRIBUNAL PARA DEFENDER ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN

Peru

L'ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION, ÉLÉMENT VITAL D'UNE MEILLEURE SANTÉ REPRODUCTIVE ET SEXUELLE, DIT ARTICLE 19

Chile

L'IPYS ET ARTICLE 19 DÉPOSENT UN MÉMOIRE À LA DÉFENSE DE L'ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION

Mexico

DES JOURNAUX S'UNISSENT POUR COMBATTRE L'IMPUNITÉ QUI ENTOURE LES MEURTRES DE JOURNALISTES

Venezuela

PHOTOGRAPHER GUNNED DOWN

IFEX members have urged Venezuelan authorities to investigate the murder of press photographer Jorge Aguirre, who was shot dead on 5 April 2006 as he approached a demonstration in Caracas.

Mexico

PERIÓDICOS SE UNEN PARA COMBATIR LA IMPUNIDAD EN ASESINATOS DE PERIODISTAS

Peru

ACCESS TO INFORMATION VITAL FOR IMPROVING REPRODUCTIVE AND SEXUAL HEALTH: ARTICLE 19

Access to information is a vital component of any serious strategy to promote and protect the right to reproductive and sexual health, argues ARTICLE 19 in a new report published in collaboration with the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) and the Flora Tristán Centre for Peruvian Women.

Chile

IPYS, ARTICLE 19 FILE BRIEF ON ACCESS TO INFORMATION CASE

Five civil society organisations, including the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) and ARTICLE 19, have filed an amicus curiae brief with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, urging it to rule that the American Convention on Human Rights guarantees the right to access information held by public bodies.

Mexico

NEWSPAPERS UNITE TO FIGHT IMPUNITY IN MURDERS OF JOURNALISTS

More than 100 newspapers in Mexico have published the first of a series of investigative articles aimed at breaking through the mystery surrounding the unsolved murders of journalists in the country, reports the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

Colombia

LA FLIP ET LA FIJ APPUIENT UNE FORMATION EN SÉCURITÉ POUR LES JOURNALISTES COLOMBIENS

Colombia

UN ANIMATEUR DE LA RADIO TOMBE SOUS LES BALLES

Guatemala

DES STATIONS DE RADIO COMMUNAUTAIRE SONT CIBLÉES

Colombia

PRESENTADOR DE RADIO MUERE POR HERIDAS DE BALA

Colombia

FLIP, IFJ SUPPORT SAFETY TRAINING FOR COLOMBIAN JOURNALISTS

In Colombia, where a long-running conflict has made the country one of the most dangerous in the world for journalists, the Foundation for Press Freedom in Colombia (Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa, FLIP) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have been partnering with the International News Safety Institute (INSI) and the British security consultancy AKE Ltd. to deliver safety training for media organisations.

Guatemala

ATACAN ESTACIONES DE RADIO COMUNITARIAS

Colombia

RADIO HOST DIES FROM GUNSHOT WOUNDS

Gustavo Rojas Gabalo, a popular radio show host in Montería, Colombia, died on 20 March 2006, more than six weeks after being shot in the head by a gunman, reported the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para libertad de la prensa, FLIP) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Guatemala

COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS TARGETED

In Guatemala, community radio stations play a key role in bringing news and information to rural indigenous communities, a role recognised in the 1996 Peace Accords that officially ended decades of brutal civil conflict. However, in a country where authorities charge exhorbitant fees for broadcast frequencies, the majority of community radio stations cannot afford licences and operate illegally.

Mexico

DEUX JOURNALISTES SONT ASSASSINÉS

Mexico

DOS PERIODISTAS ASESINADOS

Mexico

TWO JOURNALISTS MURDERED

Two journalists were murdered in Mexico last week, prompting the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to call for thorough investigations into the deaths.

Mexico

LA VIOLENCE ET LA PEUR DÉSORGANISENT COMPLÈTEMENT LES MÉDIAS D'UNE VILLE FRONTALIÈRE MEXICAINE, DIT LE CPJ

Argentina

DES JOURNALISTES DE PROVINCE SONT BOUSCULÉS PAR LES AUTORITÉS LOCALES

Mexico

VIOLENCIA Y TEMOR CAUSAN CONFUSIÓN EN MEDIOS DE CIUDAD FRONTERIZA: CPJ

Argentina

AUTORIDADES LOCALES INTIMIDAN A PERIODISTAS PROVINCIALES

Mexico

VIOLENCE AND FEAR WREAK HAVOC ON MEXICAN BORDER CITY'S MEDIA: CPJ

In the border city of Nuevo Laredo in Northern Mexico, where violent crime and corruption are rampant, local media have been cowed into silence and self-censorship, according to a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Argentina

PROVINCIAL JOURNALISTS BULLIED BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES

While Argentina, by and large, enjoys a free press, press freedom groups have expressed concerns over increasing incidences of threats and attacks on journalists in the provinces, and the influence of what is called "soft censorship" on the media.

Colombia

AGISSEZ ! COLOMBIE : LA SIP DEMANDE LA RÉOUVERTURE DE L'ENQUÊTE DANS UNE AFFAIRE DE MEURTRE

Ecuador

DEUX JOURNALISTES ASSASSINÉS

Ecuador

DOS PERIODISTAS ASESINADOS

Colombia

¡ACTÚE! COLOMBIA: SIP INSTA A REAPERTURA DE CASO DE ASESINATO

Colombia

TAKE ACTION! COLOMBIA: IAPA URGES RE-OPENING OF MURDER CASE

21 February 2006

Ecuador

TWO JOURNALISTS MURDERED

Police in Ecuador are investigating the murders of two journalists killed in the space of a week, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF). At press time, it is unclear whether the journalists were killed because of their work.

Mexico

UN PROCUREUR SPÉCIAL FERA ENQUÊTE SUR LES MEURTRES DE JOURNALISTES

Colombia

LE VICE-PRÉSIDENT ANNONCE LA CRÉATION D'UN GROUPE DE TRAVAIL CHARGÉ D'ENQUÊTER SUR LES ATTAQUES CONTRE LES JOURNALISTES

Mexico

FISCAL ESPECIAL INVESTIGARÁ ASESINATOS DE PERIODISTAS

Colombia

VICEPRESIDENTE ANUNCIA GRUPO DE TRABAJO PARA INVESTIGAR AGRESIONES CONTRA PERIODISTAS

Guyana

PRESENTADOR DE PROGRAMA DE DEBATES ASESINADO

Guatemala

SUPREMA CORTE DEROGA LEYES DE "DESACATO"

Guyana

ASSASSINAT DE L'ANIMATEUR D'UNE ÉMISSION D'ENTREVUES

Guatemala

LA COUR SUPRÊME CASSE LES LOIS SUR LES INSULTES

Mexico

SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO PROBE JOURNALISTS' SLAYINGS

Mexican president Vicente Fox has appointed a special prosecutor to investigate crimes against journalists in response to a rash of murders that have fostered a climate of fear among media organisations in the country's border regions, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Colombia

VICE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES TASK FORCE TO INVESTIGATE ATTACKS ON JOURNALISTS

Colombia's Vice President, Francisco Santos, has announced the creation of a task force charged with speeding up investigations into attacks and threats against journalists in the country, following a meeting with the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para la libertad de prensa, FLIP).

Mexico

DES JOURNALISTES S'APPRÊTENT À ENQUÊTER SUR LES ASSASSINS DE LEURS COLLÈGUES

Guyana

TALK SHOW HOST MURDERED

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) have urged Guyanese authorities to thoroughly investigate the death of radio show host and opposition activist Ronald Waddell, who was gunned down outside his home in Subryanville, Guyana on 30 January 2006.

Guatemala

SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN INSULT LAWS

Guatemela's highest court has ruled that laws criminalising expression considered offensive to public officials are unconstitutional and an affront to freedom of expression, a move hailed by IFEX members.

Mexico

JOURNALISTS TO PROBE COLLEAGUES' MURDERS

Journalists from Mexico have announced plans to conduct joint investigations into the unsolved murders of colleagues, following a meeting in Nuevo Laredo organised last week by the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

Honduras

L'AUTOCENSURE DANS LES MÉDIAS SÈME L'INQUIÉTUDE

Honduras

INQUIETUD POR AUTOCENSURA EN MEDIOS

Honduras

CONCERNS FOR SELF-CENSORSHIP IN THE MEDIA

In Honduras, the abolition of criminal defamation laws in 2005 marked a victory for freedom of expression, but self-censorship in the media remains a serious challenge for the country's journalism community, reports PROBIDAD.

Paraguay

UN JUGEMENT DANS UNE AFFAIRE DE DIFFAMATION CONSTITUE UN RECUL POUR LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE

Paraguay

FALLO POR DIFAMACIÓN UN REVÉS PARA LA LIBERTAD DE PRENSA

Paraguay

DEFAMATION RULING A SETBACK FOR PRESS FREEDOM

In a judgment the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) calls a setback for press freedom, Paraguay's Supreme Court has ordered the director of a leading daily newspaper to pay a substantial fine for defaming a senator of the ruling Colorado Party, report IAPA and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Cuba

UN GROUPE DE FEMMES EST EMPÊCHÉ DE RECEVOIR UNE RÉCOMPENSE POUR LA DÉFENSE DES DROITS DE LA PERSONNE

Cuba

IMPIDEN A GRUPO DE MUJERES RECIBIR PREMIO DE DERECHOS HUMANOS

Cuba

WOMEN'S GROUP BARRED FROM ACCEPTING HUMAN RIGHTS PRIZE

The Cuban government has barred a group of dissidents' wives and mothers from traveling to Strasbourg, France, to accept a major human rights award given by the European Parliament, says Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Guatemala

FUTURO DE RADIO COMUNITARIA EN RIESGO EN GUATEMALA

Guatemala

L'avenir de la radio communautaire est en péril au Guatemala

Guatemala

Future of Community Radio at Risk in Guatemala

22 November 2005

Haiti

SIP ORGANIZA CURSO DE CAPACITACIÓN EN SEGURIDAD PARA PERIODISTAS HAITIANOS

Haiti

LA SIP ORGANISE DE LA FORMATION EN SÉCURITÉ POUR LES JOURNALISTES HAÏTIENS

Argentina

SIP EXHORTA A APROBAR PROYECTO DE LEY ORIGINAL DE DERECHO A SABER

Argentina

LA SIP RÉCLAME L'ADOPTION DU PROJET DE LOI ORIGINAL SUR LE DROIT DE SAVOIR

Argentina

IAPA URGES PASSAGE OF ORIGINAL RIGHT-TO-KNOW BILL

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) has criticised Argentina's Senate for watering down a bill that would give citizens the right to access public records, ensure more government accountability and set an example for other Latin American countries to follow.

Mexico

MEXIQUE: LA SIP FAIT CAMPAGNE CONTRE L'IMPUNITÉ

United States

UNE JOURNALISTE DU « NEW YORK TIMES » EST REMISE EN LIBERTÉ

Colombia

UN EXPERT EN DROITS DE L'OEA EXIGE LA FIN DE L'IMPUNITÉ

Mexico

MÉXICO: CAMPAÑAS DE SIP CONTRA IMPUNIDAD

United States

REPORTERA DE NEW YORK TIMES SALE DE CÁRCEL

Colombia

EXPERTO JURÍDICO DE OEA INSTA A PONER FIN A IMPUNIDAD

Peru

LA SIP ET L'IPYS FONT CAUSE COMMUNE DANS UNE INITIATIVE POUR COMBATTRE L'IMPUNITÉ

Peru

SIP E IPYS SE UNEN A INICIATIVA PARA COMBATIR IMPUNIDAD

Peru

IAPA, IPYS JOIN INITIATIVE TO FIGHT IMPUNITY

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) have joined forces with Peruvian journalists to call for legal reforms to combat crimes against journalists and end impunity in Peru.

Mexico

MEXICO: IAPA CAMPAIGNS AGAINST IMPUNITY

4 October 2005

United States

NEW YORK TIMES REPORTER RELEASED FROM JAIL

"New York Times" reporter Judith Miller was released from prison on 29 September 2005 after agreeing to testify before a U.S. grand jury about the leaking of a CIA operative's identity in 2003, reported the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Colombia

OAS RIGHTS EXPERT URGES END TO IMPUNITY

The Colombian government should speed up investigations into the murders of journalists and strengthen resources for protecting those targeted for their reporting, says the Organization of American States' (OAS) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression.

Canada

DES ÉCRIVAINS EN EXIL SE TROUVENT DE NOUVEAUX DOMICILES

Canada

ESCRITORES EXILIADOS ENCUENTRAN NUEVOS HOGARES

Canada

EXILED WRITERS FIND NEW HOMES

For many writers who have been forced to leave their home countries because of political persecution, life in a new, albeit safe, country, can be difficult. The rupture and separation that comes with exile can often mean that individuals forfeit their careers as writers in order to make a living in their adopted land.

Guatemala

CERIGUA DOCUMENTA ATAQUES CONTRA PERIODISTAS GUATEMALTECOS

United States

ORGANISMO FEDERAL INTENTA CENSURAR COBERTURA TRAS HURACÁN KATRINA

Guatemala

LE CERIGUA DOCUMENTE LES ATTAQUES CONTRE LES JOURNALISTES GUATÉMALTÈQUES

United States

UNE AGENCE FÉDÉRALE TENTE DE CENSURER LA COUVERTURE DE L'APRÈS-KATRINA

Colombia

LA PEUR S'EMPARE DES MÉDIAS À VALLE DEL CAUCA

Guatemala

CERIGUA DOCUMENTS ATTACKS ON GUATEMALAN JOURNALISTS

CERIGUA (Centro de Reportes Informativos sobre Guatemala) has released a new report on the state of free expression in Guatemala which shows how dangerous it continues to be for journalists in the country.

United States

FEDERAL AGENCY TRIES TO CENSOR POST-KATRINA COVERAGE

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, U.S. authorities have attempted to prevent several journalists from covering rescue efforts, say Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Colombia

FEAR GRIPS MEDIA IN VALLE DEL CAUCA

In Colombia's southeastern province of Valle del Cauca, journalists are being cowed into silence by attacks and threats from drug traffickers, paramilitaries, guerrillas and local politicians, according to a new report by five national and international press freedom groups that visited the region in July 2005.

Mexico

LA SIP EXERCE DES PRESSIONS SUR LE GOUVERNEMENT À PROPOS DES ASSASSINATS DES JOURNALISTES

Mexico

SIP PRESIONA A GOBIERNO POR ASESINATOS DE PERIODISTAS

Mexico

IAPA PRESSES GOVERNMENT ON JOURNALISTS' MURDERS

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) has urged Mexican President Vicente Fox to make crimes against freedom of expression federal offences and to stiffen penalties for those found guilty of them.

Nicaragua

UN JOURNALISTE EST ASSASSINÉ

Nicaragua

PERIODISTA ASESINADO

Nicaragua

JOURNALIST MURDERED

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) are calling for an investigation into the murder of Rony Adolfo Olivas Olivas, a journalist who was shot dead on 14 August 2005 in Estelí, Nicaragua. The IFEX member says there is reason to believe he may have been targeted for reporting on drug trafficking.

Brazil

COLOQUIO INTERNACIONAL DE DERECHOS HUMANOS

Guatemala

LÍDER DEL CONGRESO APOYA PROYECTO DE LEY DE ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN

Guatemala

UN DIRIGEANT DU CONGRÈS APPUIE LE PROJET DE LOI SUR L’ACCÈS À L’INFORMATION

Guatemala

CONGRESS LEADER SUPPORTS ACCESS TO INFORMATION BILL

The head of Guatemala's Congress has declared his support for a law guaranteeing citizens and journalists the right to access government information, reports the Center for Information on Guatemala (Centro de Reportes Informativos sobra Guatemala, CERIGUA).

Haiti

POPULAR PERIODISTA ASESINADO MIENTRAS MENUDEAN SECUESTROS

Haiti

UN JOURNALISTE POPULAIRE EST ASSASSINÉ TANDIS QUE LA PRATIQUE DES ENLÈVEMENTS PREND DE L'AMPLEUR

Haiti

POPULAR JOURNALIST MURDERED AS KIDNAPPINGS SOAR

The bullet-sprayed and handcuffed body of Jacques Roche, a well-known Haitian journalist kidnapped on 10 July 2005, has been found on a Port-au-Prince street, says Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Brazil

UN JOURNALISTE EST ASSASSINÉ

Peru

DE PLUS EN PLUS D'ATTENTATS CONTRE LES JOURNALISTES

Brazil

PERIODISTA ASESINADO

Peru

AUMENTAN AGRESIONES CONTRA PERIODISTAS

United States

LA CONFIDENTIALITÉ DES SOURCES DES JOURNALISTES EST MENACÉE

Mexico

MÉXICO: REPORTERO POLICIACO DESAPARECIDO

Brazil

JOURNALIST MURDERED

On 1 July 2005, José Cândido Amorim Pinto of Rádio Comunitária Alternativa was shot and killed by unidentified men in Carpina in Brazil's northeastern state of Pernambuco, noted Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Peru

ATTACKS ON JOURNALISTS INCREASING

In Peru, an increasing number of journalists are being physically and verbally assaulted, with many of the attacks coming from members of the public, says Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF), citing a recent report by the National Association of Journalists of Peru (ANP).

United States

CONFIDENCIALIDAD DE FUENTES DE PERIODISTAS AMENAZADA

United States

CONFIDENTIALITY OF JOURNALISTS' SOURCES UNDER THREAT

Press freedom in the United States was dealt a blow last week with the Supreme Court's refusal to hear an appeal by two journalists who face jail for refusing to reveal their confidential sources and ignoring subpoenas to testify before a grand jury. The decision has several IFEX members concerned that the decision gives authoritarian regimes further ammunition to justify crackdowns on the press.

Mexico

MEXIQUE : UN CHRONIQUEUR JUDICIAIRE EST PORTÉ DISPARU

Mexico

DES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX EXIGENT LA FIN DE L'IMPUNITÉ

Mexico

MEXICO: CRIME REPORTER MISSING

28 June 2005

Mexico

IFEX MEMBERS CALL FOR END TO IMPUNITY

The unsolved murders of journalists working in northern Mexico near the US border have perpetuated a climate of impunity that makes the region one of the most dangerous in Latin America for the media, say the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Guatemala

LA COUR SUPRÊME SUSPEND LES LOIS SUR LES INSULTES

Guatemala

TOP COURT RULES AGAINST INSULT LAWS

Guatemala moved a step closer towards decriminalising press offences last week with a decision by the country's top court to temporarily suspend "desacato", or insult, provisions in the Penal Code, report the Guatemalan Association of Journalists (Asociación de Periodistas de Guatemala, APG), the World Press Freedom Committee (WPFC) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

Costa Rica

REPORTEROS COSTARRICENSES GANAN PREMIO ANTICORRUPCIÓN

Costa Rica

DES REPORTERS COSTA-RICAINS REMPORTENT UNE RÉCOMPENSE DE LUTTE CONTRE LA CORRUPTION

Honduras

LA COUR SUPRÊME INVALIDE UNE DISPOSITION SUR LES « INSULTES »

Honduras

SUPREMA CORTE DEROGA ESTIPULACIÓN DE "INJURIA"

Costa Rica

COSTA RICAN REPORTERS WIN ANTI-CORRUPTION PRIZE

A team of investigative reporters at Costa Rica's daily newspaper "La Nación" have been awarded a journalism prize for revealing how foreign corporations illegally bribed three former Costa Rican presidents.

Honduras

SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN "INSULT" PROVISION

Honduras' highest court has ruled that a provision in the country's Penal Code which criminalises press offences is unconstitutional and should be repealed.

Colombia

ON CRAINT POUR LA SÛRETÉ DES JOURNALISTES MENACÉS

Colombia

TEMORES POR SEGURIDAD DE PERIODISTAS AMENAZADOS

Colombia

FEARS FOR SAFETY OF THREATENED JOURNALISTS

IFEX members have urged Colombian authorities to boost efforts to ensure the safety of journalists in the country, following death threats against three well-known reporters. On 16 March 2005, funeral wreaths were sent to the homes and offices of Hollman Morris, Daniel Coronell and Carlos Lozano. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the threats.

Colombia

AUTOCENSURE ET IMPUNITÉ GÉNÉRALISÉES

Colombia

AUTOCENSURA E IMPUNIDAD OMNIPRESENTES

Colombia

SELF-CENSORSHIP, IMPUNITY PERVASIVE

Despite a decline in the number of journalists killed in Colombia, the media continue to work in a climate of fear and pervasive self-censorship, according to a new report by the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa, FLIP).

Mexico

LES CENTRES DU PEN SE JOIGNENT À UNE COALITION DE LUTTE CONTRE L'IMPUNITÉ

Mexico

CENTROS PEN SE UNEN A COALICIÓN CONTRA IMPUNIDAD

Ecuador

UN PHOTOGRAPHE PERD LA VIE PENDANT QU'IL COUVRAIT DES MANIFESTATIONS DE PROTESTATION

Ecuador

FOTÓGRAFO MUERE MIENTRAS CUBRE MANIFESTACIONES

Ecuador

PHOTOGRAPHER DIES COVERING PROTESTS

Amid protests in Quito last week that led to the ousting of Ecuador's former President Lucio Gutiérrez, a photographer lost his life, reported the World Association of Community Broadcasters (AMARC), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Mexico

UNE JOURNALISTE SUCCOMBE À SES BLESSURES

Mexico

REPORTERA HERIDA MUERE

Mexico

WOUNDED REPORTER DIES

Mexican reporter Dolores Guadalupe García Escamilla, who was shot nine times by an unidentified gunman on 5 April 2005 in the northern city of Nuevo Laredo, has died, report the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Haiti

UN JOURNALISTE PERD LA VIE

Colombia

UN CLIMAT DE PEUR ÉTOUFFE LES MÉDIAS À CÚCUTA

Mexico

DES JOURNALISTES VISÉS PAR LES TRAFIQUANTS DE DROGUE

Haiti

PERIODISTA ASESINADO

Colombia

CLIMA DE TEMOR ATENAZA A MEDIOS EN CÚCUTA

Mexico

PERIODISTA ATACADO POR TRAFICANTES DE DROGAS

Colombia

CLIMATE OF FEAR GRIPS JOURNALISTS IN CÚCUTA

Journalists in Colombia's eastern city of Cúcuta work in a climate of fear where attacks against the press go unpunished and self-censorship is the norm, according to a new report by Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Haiti

JOURNALIST KILLED

The UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti has launched an investigation into the death of journalist Laraque Robenson, who was fatally injured while covering clashes between former Haitian soldiers and UN peacekeepers in the southern town of Petit-Goâve, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Mexico

JOURNALISTS TARGETED BY DRUG TRAFFICKERS

In Mexico, journalists risk grave danger in covering drug trafficking. In 2004, two journalists were murdered in the cities of Tijuana and Matamoros because of their work. In the past two weeks, an editor was gunned down, a crime reporter narrowly survived an assassination attempt and a correspondent specialising in drug trafficking went missing, reported IFEX members.

Venezuela

LE GOUVERNEMENT RESSERRE LES LOIS « DESACATO »

Venezuela

GOBIERNO HACE MÁS RESTRICTIVAS LAS LEYES DE "DESACATO"

Venezuela

GOVERNMENT TIGHTENS "DESACATO" LAWS

Across Latin America, a growing number of governments are repealing so-called "disrespect" ("desacato") laws that unfairly protect officials from public scrutiny and criticism. In Venezuela, however, the government is moving in the opposite direction, approving amendments to the country's Criminal Code that press freedom groups warn may further restrict the public's ability to monitor government actions.

Cuba

LES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX EXIGENT LA LIBÉRATION DES JOURNALISTES EMPRISONNÉS

United States

LA SIP S'ATTAQUE AU JOURNALISME « PAYOLA »

Chile

LE CONGRÈS EST PRIÉ D'ABOLIR LES LOIS SUR LES « INSULTES »

Cuba

MIEMBROS DE IFEX EXIGEN LIBERTAD PARA PERIODISTAS ENCARCELADOS

Cuba

IFEX MEMBERS DEMAND FREEDOM FOR JAILED JOURNALISTS

Two years after the Cuban government launched a crackdown on freedom of expression by arresting dozens of dissidents and journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF), Human Rights Watch and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) are focusing attention on the plight of more than 20 journalists who remain behind bars.

United States

SIP ARREMETE CONTRA PERIODISMO DE SOBORNO

Chile

INSTAN A CONGRESO A DEROGAR LEYES DE "DESACATO"

United States

IAPA ASSAILS "PAYOLA" JOURNALISM

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) has criticised the Bush administration for secretly paying journalists to propagate its policies and pressuring reporters to reveal their sources.

Chile

CONGRESS URGED TO SCRAP "INSULT" LAWS

In Chile, where criticising government and military officials can land a person in jail, efforts are underway to reform the country's free speech laws. A government bill proposing to decriminalise the country's so-called "insult" or "desacato" laws is making its way through the Senate, but Human Rights Watch and the World Press Freedom Committee (WPFC) warn that the final version may be too weak to protect the right of citizens and journalists to freely express their views.

United States

Película investiga fracaso de medios estadounidenses sobre cobertura de Irak

United States

Film Probes US Media's Failure over Iraq Coverage

8 March 2005

Chile

IPYS, ARTICLE 19 SUPPORT ACCESS TO INFORMATION CASE

The Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) and ARTICLE 19 have teamed up with two other organisations to support a Chilean legal case before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) which could have significant repercussions for access to information laws in the Americas.

United States

UN FESTIVAL D'ÉCRIVAINS POUR PROMOUVOIR LE DIALOGUE INTERCULTUREL

United States

FESTIVAL DE ESCRITORES PROMOVERÁ TO DIÁLOGO INTERCULTURAL

United States

WRITERS FESTIVAL TO PROMOTE INTER-CULTURAL DIALOGUE

For one week in April, New York will be the centre of the literary world when it plays host to PEN World Voices, a week-long festival of readings, debates and programmes involving more than 70 of the world's leading writers.

Colombia

QU'IL Y AIT MOINS D'ATTAQUES CONTRE LES MÉDIAS MASQUE UNE CULTURE D'AUTO-CENSURE

Colombia

MENOR NÚMERO DE ATAQUES CONTRA MEDIOS ENMASCARA CULTURA DE AUTOCENSURA

Colombia

FEWER ATTACKS AGAINST MEDIA MASK CULTURE OF SELF CENSORSHIP

In Colombia, where a long-standing civil conflict has made the country one of the world's most dangerous for the press, 2004 appears at first glance to have been a safer year for journalists, according to a new report by the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para la libertad de prensa, FLIP).

Argentina

Radio Folle donne une voix aux malades mentaux

Argentina

Radio La Colifata da voz a pacientes de instituciones mentales

Argentina

"Crazy" Radio Gives Voice to Mental Patients

1 February 2005

Haiti

UN JOURNALISTE PERD LA VIE DANS UNE EXPLOSION DE VIOLENCE

Haiti

PERIODISTA ASESINADO EN BROTE DE VIOLENCIA

Haiti

JOURNALIST KILLED AS VIOLENCE FLARES

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) is calling on Haitian authorities to investigate the murder of radio journalist Abdias Jean, who was reportedly killed by police during a raid on a shantytown near Port-au-Prince.

Colombia

UN JOURNALISTE DE LA RADIO EST ABATTU, UN AUTRE EST MENACÉ

Colombia

PERIODISTA RADIOFÓNICO BALEADO; AMENAZAN A OTRO

Colombia

RADIO JOURNALIST GUNNED DOWN, ANOTHER THREATENED

IFEX members are calling for an investigation into the murder of a controversial radio show host in Cúcuta, perhaps one of the most dangerous cities in Colombia for journalists.

Peru

L'IPYS S'INQUIÈTE POUR LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE

Peru

IPYS EXPRESA SU PREOCUPACIÓN POR LIBERTAD DE PRENSA

Peru

IPYS RAISES CONCERNS FOR PRESS FREEDOM

In Peru, the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) says there is cause for concern over the state of press freedom in the country. In the last 12 months, the IFEX member has reported more than twice as many violations than it did in 2003.

Brazil

Des ONG brésiliennes forment un réseau d'accès à l'information

Brazil

ONG brasileña forma red de acceso a la información

Brazil

Brazilian NGOs Form Access-to-Information Network

4 January 2005

Cuba

QUATRE JOURNALISTES LIBÉRÉS DE PRISON

Cuba

CUATRO PERIODISTAS LIBERADOS DE LA CÁRCEL

Cuba

FOUR JOURNALISTS RELEASED FROM JAIL

IFEX members have welcomed the release of four Cuban journalists from prison but are calling on the government to free dozens of others who remain behind bars.

Venezuela

LA NOUVELLE LOI SUR LES MÉDIAS INQUIÈTE

Mexico

UN PHOTOGRAPHE EST ASSASSINÉ

Mexico

FOTÓGRAFO MUERTO

Venezuela

INQUIETUD SOBRE NUEVA LEY DE MEDIOS

Venezuela

CONCERN OVER NEW MEDIA LAW

Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) have expressed concern over a recently passed law in Venezuela that gives the government more power to regulate media content.

Mexico

PHOTOGRAPHER KILLED

On 27 November 2004, Mexican photographer Gregorio Rodríguez was gunned down in the northwestern state of Sinaloa, reports the World Association of Newspapers (WAN).

Argentina

PERIODISTAS MET FIN À SES ACTIVITÉS

Argentina

PERIODISTAS ANUNCIA SU DISOLUCIÓN

Argentina

PERIODISTAS CLOSES

Nine years after it was founded to promote and defend freedom of expression in Argentina, the Association for the Defense of Independent Journalism (la Asociación para la Defensa del Periodismo Independiente, PERIODISTAS) has announced that it is closing.

Mexico

LE CPJ ENQUÊTE SUR UN MEURTRE À TIJUANA

Mexico

CPJ INVESTIGA ASESINATO EN TIJUANA

Mexico

CPJ INVESTIGATES TIJUANA MURDER

For Jesús Blancornelas, editor of Mexico's muckraking newspaper "Zeta," the price for investigating Tijuana's powerful drug cartels has been very high. He is a virtual prisoner, moving only between home and office accompanied by 20 heavily armed bodyguards. Three "Zeta" staff members have been murdered, the most recent being Blancornelas' co-editor, Francisco Ortiz Franco, gunned down in front of his children in June 2004.

Ecuador

Ofrecen seminarios de libre expresión para periodistas bolivianos y ecuatorianos

United States

PREMIO NOBEL DEMANDA A GOBIERNO ESTADOUNIDENSE

El Salvador

REFORMAS DE CONGRESO PROTEGEN CONFIDENCIALIDAD DE FUENTES DE PERIODISTAS

El Salvador

LES RÉFORMES DU CONGRÈS PROTÈGENT LA CONFIDENTIALITÉ DES SOURCES DES JOURNALISTES

United States

LA LAURÉATE IRANIENNE DU PRIX NOBEL POURSUIT LE GOUVERNEMENT DES ÉTATS-UNIS

Mexico

LE GOUVERNEMENT MANIFESTE SON APPUI À LA RADIO COMMUNAUTAIRE

El Salvador

CONGRESSIONAL REFORMS PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY OF JOURNALISTS' SOURCES

The right of journalists to protect their sources in El Salvador may soon become a reality following a decision by Congress to approve reforms to the country's criminal code, reports the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

United States

IRANIAN NOBEL LAUREATE SUES US GOVERNMENT

Iranian human rights advocate and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi has filed a lawsuit against the US Treasury Department for preventing her from publishing a book in the United States, reports PEN American Center (PEN).

Mexico

GOBIERNO DA SEÑAL DE APOYO PARA RADIO COMUNITARIA

Brazil

IAPA TO SEND DELEGATIONS TO ARGENTINA, BRAZIL

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) will be sending delegations to Argentina and Brazil in the coming weeks to discuss press freedom concerns with government authorities, including access to information and the regulation of journalists.

Mexico

GOVERNMENT SIGNALS SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY RADIO

The Mexican government is sending "positive signals" to supporters of community radio in the country, saying social groups and communities should be given equal opportunities to access public airwaves, reports the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC).

United States

LE DROIT DES JOURNALISTES DE PROTÉGER LEURS SOURCES EST MENACÉ

United States

AMENAZAN DERECHO DE PERIODISTAS A PROTEGER FUENTES

United States

JOURNALISTS' RIGHT TO PROTECT SOURCES THREATENED

One of the indicators of a free press is the degree to which journalists are able to protect their sources. In the United States, that privilege is being sorely tested, with prosecutors compelling more journalists to reveal their sources this year than in decades, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Mexico

AGISSEZ ! MEXIQUE : LA SIP PRESSE À L'ACTION CONTRE L'IMPUNITÉ

Guatemala

UN JOURNALISTE EST TUÉ, UN AUTRE MENACÉ

Paraguay

LA COUR INTERNATIONALE PORTE UN COUP À LA DIFFAMATION PÉNALE

Mexico

¡ACTÚE! MÉXICO SIP INSTA A REALIZAR ACCIONES CONTRA IMPUNIDAD

Guatemala

PERIODISTA ASESINADO, OTRO AMENAZADO

Paraguay

TRIBUNAL INTERNACIONAL ASESTA GOLPE A DIFAMACIÓN PENAL

Mexico

TAKE ACTION! MEXICO: IAPA URGES ACTION AGAINST IMPUNITY

5 October 2004

Guatemala

JOURNALIST KILLED, ANOTHER THREATENED

Seven years after Guatemala's civil war ended with the signing of peace accords in 1996, the country remains dangerous for journalists. Last week, the leader of a journalists' association was murdered and a magazine reporter received death threats, reports Centro de Reportes Informativos sobre Guatemala (CERIGUA).

Paraguay

INTERNATIONAL COURT RULING STRIKES BLOW AGAINST CRIMINAL DEFAMATION

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ruled that a criminal defamation conviction in Paraguay violated international law, a move that is expected to strengthen the efforts of free expression advocates in Latin America.

Colombia

PERIODISTAS COLOMBIANOS DEBATIERON SEGURIDAD EN MEDIOS Y REPORTAJE DE INVESTIGACIÓN

Colombia

COLOMBIAN JOURNALISTS DISCUSS MEDIA SAFETY, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

The safety of journalists in Colombia and the challenges facing investigative reporters will take centre stage at a day-long conference in Bogota hosted on 30 September 2004 by the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para la libertad de prensa, FLIP) and the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS).

Dominican Republic

ASSASSINAT D'UN JOURNALISTE

Dominican Republic

PERIODISTA ASESINADO

Dominican Republic

JOURNALIST MURDERED

On 14 September 2004, gunmen shot and killed journalist Juan Emilio Andújar in Azua, Dominican Republic, shortly after he reported on an escalating crime wave that has seen as many as six journalists threatened in recent weeks.

Argentina

PERIODISTAS DEMANDE INSTAMMENT L'ADOPTION D'UN PROJET DE LOI SUR L'ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION

Argentina

PERIODISTAS INSTA LA APROBACIÓN DE PROYECTO DE LEY DE ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN

Argentina

PERIODISTAS URGES PASSAGE OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION BILL

In Argentina, free speech advocates' hopes of getting an access to information bill passed into law in the next two years could be dashed unless the proposed legislation is approved by the Senate in late November, reports the Argentine Association for the Defence of Independent Journalism (PERIODISTAS).

Venezuela

PRESENTADOR DE RADIO MUERTO

Panama

INSTAN A NUEVO GOBIERNO A REFORMAR LEYES DE DIFAMACIÓN

Venezuela

UN ANIMATEUR DE LA RADIO EST ASSASSINÉ

Panama

LE NOUVEAU GOUVERNEMENT EST PRIÉ DE RÉFORMER LES LOIS SUR LA DIFFAMATION

Mexico

UN CHRONIQUEUR EST ASSASSINÉ

Mexico

COLUMNISTA ASESINADO

Venezuela

RADIO SHOW HOST KILLED

On 1 September 2004, unidentified men shot and killed radio show host Mauro Marcano in the city of Maturín, eastern Venezuela, reports the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS).

Panama

NEW LEGISLATORS URGED TO REFORM DEFAMATION LAWS

As Panama's new president, Martin Torrijos, takes up office this month, IFEX members are calling on the country's new government to approve constitutional reforms that would decriminalise defamation.

Mexico

COLUMNIST MURDERED

IFEX members have condemned the killing of Mexican newspaper columnist Francisco Arratia Saldierna, who was beaten to death by unidentified assailants in the northern border city of Matamoros on 31 August 2004.

Mexico

LES AUTORITÉS FÉDÉRALES PRENNENT EN MAIN L'ENQUÊTE SUR LE MEURTRE D'UN JOURNALISTE

Brazil

UN AVANT-PROJET DE LOI VISE À RÉGLEMENTER LES JOURNALISTES

Mexico

AUTORIDADES FEDERALES SE HACEN CARGO DE INVESTIGACIÓN DE ASESINATO

Brazil

PROYECTO DE LEY BUSCA REGULAR A PERIODISTAS

Mexico

FEDERAL AUTHORITIES TAKE OVER MURDER INVESTIGATION

An investigation into the June 2004 murder of Mexican journalist Francisco Javier Ortiz Franco is now being taken up by federal prosecutors, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontierès, RSF).

Brazil

DRAFT BILL SEEKS TO REGULATE JOURNALISTS

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have expressed concerns over a proposed bill in Brazil which seeks to regulate journalists, warning it would severely restrict freedom of expression.

Costa Rica

LA COUR INTERAMÉRICAINE DES DROITS DE L'HOMME INVALIDE UNE CONDAMNATION EN DIFFAMATION

Costa Rica

CORTE INTERAMERICANA ANULA SENTENCIA POR DIFAMACIÓN

Mexico

L'OEA VEUT UN RAPPORT DU GOUVERNEMENT SUR L'AFFAIRE D'UN JOURNALISTE ASSASSINÉ

Costa Rica

INTER-AMERICAN COURT QUASHES DEFAMATION SENTENCE

The Inter American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) has struck down a defamation sentence against Costa Rican journalist Mauricio Herrera Ulloa, ruling that the Costa Rican government violated the American Convention on Human Rights. The decision is binding on Costa Rica and could have implications for other Latin American countries with criminal defamation laws.

Mexico

OEA BUSCA INFORME GUBERNAMENTAL SOBRE PERIODISTAS ASESINADOS

South America

IAPA ORGANISES JUDGE-JOURNALIST DIALOGUES IN ECUADOR, COLOMBIA

Journalists and judges will meet in Ecuador and Colombia this week to discuss press freedom and the law as part of the Inter American Press Association's (IAPA) continent-wide programme to encourage dialogue between media and the courts.

Mexico

OAS SEEKS GOVERNMENT REPORT ON MURDERED JOURNALIST

The Organization of American States' Special Rapporteur on Free Expression, Eduardo Bertoni, has requested a report from the Mexican government concerning the murder of journalist Roberto Mora García, citing inconsistencies in the official investigation into the case.

United States

DES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX INSISTENT POUR QU'ON MODIFIE LA POLITIQUE DE DÉLIVRANCE DE VISAS AUX JOURNALISTES

Haiti

DES JOURNALISTES PRO-ARISTIDE MENACÉS, DIT UN DOSSIER DU CPJ

United States

MIEMBROS DE IFEX PIDEN CAMBIOS A REGLAS DE VISADO PARA PERIODISTAS

Haiti

PERIODISTAS PARTIDARIOS DE ARISTIDE AMENAZADOS: INFORME DE CPJ

United States

IFEX MEMBERS URGE VISA RULE CHANGES FOR JOURNALISTS

The United States' reputation as a "beacon of press freedom" is being tarnished by a pattern of incidents in which at least 13 foreign journalists have been detained and deported from the country in the past 18 months because of unfair visa regulations, say four IFEX members.

Haiti

PRO-ARISTIDE JOURNALISTS UNDER THREAT: CPJ REPORT

Five months after the collapse of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's government, journalists continue to work under dangerous conditions, especially those sympathetic to the former leader, says a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Brazil

UN JOURNALISTE DE LA RADIO EST ASSASSINÉ

Brazil

PERIODISTA RADIOFÓNICO ASESINADO

Brazil

RADIO JOURNALIST SLAIN

Police in Brazil's northeastern state of Alagoas are investigating the murder of Jorge Lourenco dos Santos, the owner of a radio station who was shot and killed in the town of Santana do Ipanema on 11 July, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Cuba

LE WIPC S'APPRÊTE À LANCER UNE CAMPAGNE ÉPISTOLAIRE

Cuba

WIPC LANZARÁ CAMPAÑA DE ENVÍO DE CARTAS

Guatemala

LE RAPPORTEUR SPÉCIAL DE L'OEA POUR LA LIBERTÉ D'EXPRESSION RENCONTRE DES JOURNALISTES GUATÉMALTÈQUES

Cuba

WiPC TO LAUNCH LETTER-WRITING CAMPAIGN

The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN (WiPC) is launching a letter-writing campaign this month to focus attention on the plight of 32 imprisoned Cuban journalists, writers and librarians.

Haiti

LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE S'AMÉLIORE DEPUIS LE DÉPART D'ARISTIDE

Haiti

LIBERTAD DE PRENSA MEJORA DESPUÉS DE ARISTIDE

Guatemala

RELATOR DE OEA SE REÚNE CON PERIODISTAS GUATEMALTECOS

Guatemala

OAS RAPPORTEUR MEETS WITH GUATEMALAN JOURNALISTS

For rural-based journalists in Guatemala, reporting the news can be a dangerous occupation in a country where attacks on the press are common and impunity rife. They can turn to the international community for protection, however. That was the message Eduardo Bertoni, the Organization of American States' Special Rapporteur on Free Expression, brought to journalists in Guatemala last month, reports CERIGUA.

Haiti

PRESS FREEDOM IMPROVING POST ARISTIDE

Since the fall of former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in February 2004, journalists, it seems, are able to breathe again. Press freedom has returned to the country and a "new wind of freedom" is blowing for radio stations in the capital, Port-au-Prince, says Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Cuba

DES JOURNALISTES SONT LIBÉRÉS DE PRISON

Mexico

LES MEMBRES DE L’IFEX CONDAMNENT LE MEURTRE D’UN JOURNALISTE

Cuba

PERIODISTAS LIBERADOS DE PRISIÓN

Mexico

MIEMBROS DE IFEX CONDENAN ASESINATO DE PERIODISTA

Cuba

JOURNALISTS RELEASED FROM PRISON

Two journalists who were sentenced in 2003 to lengthy prison terms have been granted an early release, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN (WiPC).

Mexico

IFEX MEMBERS CONDEMN JOURNALIST'S MURDER

Seven IFEX members have expressed outrage at the murder of respected Mexican journalist Francisco J. Ortiz Franco, who was gunned down in broad daylight on 22 June 2004 in Tijuana, northern Mexico.

Mexico

DECRECEN ATAQUES CONTRA MEDIOS EN 2003, PERO LIBRE EXPRESIÓN SIGUE OBSTACULIZADA

Mexico

AGISSEZ! MEXIQUE : LE GOUVERNEUR DU CHIAPAS EST PRIÉ D'ABOLIR LES RÉCENTES « RÉFORMES » RÉPRESSIVES DU CODE PÉNAL

Mexico

LE NOMBRE DES ATTAQUES CONTRE LES MÉDIAS A DIMINUÉ EN 2003, MAIS LA LIBRE EXPRESSION EST TOUJOURS ENTRAVÉE

Mexico

MEDIA ATTACKS DOWN IN 2003, BUT FREE EXPRESSION STILL HINDERED

Even though there was a 50 per cent drop in direct attacks on journalists in Mexico in 2003, the Centro Nacional de Comunicación Social (National Center for Social Communication, CENCOS) says there were still 260 cases of free expression violations registered.

Argentina

ESTACIONES DE RADIO COMUNITARIAS GANAN IMPORTANTE BATALLA LEGAL

Argentina

LES STATIONS DE RADIO COMMUNAUTAIRE REMPORTENT UNE GRANDE BATAILLE JUDICIAIRE

Argentina

COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS WIN MAJOR LEGAL VICTORY

Index on Censorship reports that community radio stations in Argentina won a major victory when the country's Supreme Court decided on 4 September 2003 that a 1981 law prohibiting them was unconstitutional.

Honduras

UN EXPERT DE L'OEA FAIT PRESSION POUR OBTENIR LA RÉFORME DES LOIS « DESACATO »

Honduras

EXPERTO DE OEA INSTA A REFORMA DE LEYES DE DESACATO

Honduras

OAS EXPERT URGES REFORM OF "DESACATO" LAWS

The Organisation of American States' (OAS) Special Rapporteur on Free Expression, Eduardo Bertoni, has urged the government of Honduras to repeal laws that penalise journalists and others who criticise public officials, reports Journalists Against Corruption (Periodistas Frente a la Corrupción, PFC).

Colombia

SIP SIGUE CASOS DE PERIODISTAS MUERTOS

Bolivia

DIFUSORAS COMUNITARIAS OBTIENEN RECONOCIMIENTO LEGAL

United States

CAMPAÑA DE PEN INSTA A REVISIÓN DE LEY PATRIÓTICA DE ESTADOS UNIDOS

Colombia

LA SIP SURVEILLE LES AFFAIRES DE JOURNALISTES ASSASSINÉS

Bolivia

LES RADIODIFFUSEURS COMMUNAUTAIRES OBTIENNENT LA RECONNAISSANCE JURIDIQUE

Ecuador

LE PRÉSIDENT RATIFIE LA LOI D'ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION

United States

CAMPAGNE DU PEN EN FAVEUR D'UNE RÉVISION DU « PATRIOT ACT »

Bolivia

COMMUNITY BROADCASTERS WIN LEGAL RECOGNITION

In what is being hailed as a precedent setting move in Latin America, Bolivian president Carlos D. Mesa Gisbert has signed a decree on broadcasting that paves the way for legal recognition of community radio stations, reports the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC).

Ecuador

PRESIDENT SIGNS FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW

Ecuador joined the growing ranks of Latin American countries with freedom of information (FOI) laws last week when President Lucio Gutierrez signed a new law on access to public information, the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) reports.

United States

PEN CAMPAIGN URGES REVIEW OF U.S.A. PATRIOT ACT

PEN American Center (PEN) has launched a campaign calling for a review of the U.S.A. Patriot Act, saying the legislation has compromised core American values and damaged U.S. credibility internationally.

Ecuador

UNE ÉQUIPE D'ENQUÊTEURS REMPORTE UN PRIX DE JOURNALISME

Ecuador

EQUIPO DE INVESTIGACIÓN GANA PREMIO DE PERIODISMO

Ecuador

INVESTIGATIVE TEAM WINS JOURNALISM PRIZE

The Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) and Transparency International have awarded a team of Ecuadorian investigative journalists the top prize for reporting on corruption in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Brazil

L'UNESCO financera un réseau brésilien de défense de la liberté de la presse

Brazil

UNESCO financiará red brasileña de libertad de prensa

Brazil

UNESCO to Fund Brazilian Press Freedom Network

13 April 2004

Cuba

AGISSEZ ! SIGNEZ LA PÉTITION D'APPUI DU CPJ À UN JOURNALISTE CUBAIN EMPRISONNÉ

Mexico

LE CHEF DE LA RÉDACTION D'UNE PUBLICATION EST ASSASSINÉ

Cuba

DES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX EXIGENT LA REMISE EN LIBERTÉ DES DISSIDENTS INCARCÉRÉS

Cuba

¡ACTÚE! FIRME PETICIÓN DE CPJ PARA APOYAR A PERIODSTA CUBANO ENCARCELADO

Mexico

DIRECTOR EDITORIAL ASESINADO

Cuba

MIEMBROS DE IFEX EXIGEN LIBERACIÓN DE DISIDENTES ENCARCELADOS

Cuba

TAKE ACTION: SIGN CPJ PETITION TO SUPPORT JAILED CUBAN JOURNALIST

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) invites you to sign a petition calling for the release of imprisoned Cuban journalist Manuel Vásquez Portal.

Mexico

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR MURDERED

Journalists Against Corruption (Periodistas frente a la corrupción, PFC), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) are calling on Mexican authorities to investigate the murder of journalist Roberto Javier Mora García, who was killed in the northern city of Nuevo Laredo on 19 March 2004.

Cuba

IFEX MEMBERS DEMAND RELEASE OF JAILED DISSIDENTS

Five IFEX members joined worldwide calls last week for the release of 75 imprisoned journalists and dissidents in Cuba, marking the first anniversary of a sweeping government crackdown on the country's human rights activists and independent press.

Canada

CANADÁ: CJFE BUSCA NUEVO DIRECTOR EJECUTIVO

Honduras

POLICÍA SEÑALA A SUPUESTOS ASESINOS DE PERIODISTA

Colombia

LÍDER PARAMILITAR SENTENCIADO POR ASESINATO DE PERIODISTA

Honduras

LA POLICE DÉSIGNE NOMMÉMENT LES ASSASSINS PRÉSUMÉS D'UN JOURNALISTE

Colombia

LE CHEF D'UN GROUPE PARAMILITAIRE EST CONDAMNÉ POUR LE MEURTRE D'UN JOURNALISTE

Honduras

POLICE NAME JOURNALIST'S ALLEGED ASSASSINS

On 10 March 2004, the Honduras police revealed the names of the presumed killers of journalist Germán Rivas.The former host of the CMV Noticias news programme, broadcast on the Canal 7 television station, was assassinated on 26 November 2003 as he was heading to the station's offices in Santa Rosa de Copán, in western Honduras.

Colombia

PARAMILITARY LEADER SENTENCED FOR MURDER OF JOURNALIST

On 10 March 2004, a Bogotá criminal court sentenced Carlos Castaño Gil to 38 years in prison for masterminding the 1999 murder of journalist Jaime Garzón, but acquitted the two men accused of the actual crime owing to tainted evidence, reported the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa, FLIP).

United States

Organizaciones de periodismo de 11 países crean red

Haiti

PERIODISTA ESPAÑOL ASESINADO; FOTÓGRAFO ESTADOUNIDENSE LESIONADO

Venezuela

PERIODISTAS AGREDIDOS MIENTRAS EMPEORA DESCONTENTO SOCIAL

United States

AMÉRIQUES : DES GROUPES DE JOURNALISTES DISCUTENT DE LA FORMATION D'UN RÉSEAU

Haiti

UN JOURNALISTE ESPAGNOL PERD LA VIE, UN PHOTOGRAPHE AMÉRICAIN EST BLESSÉ

Venezuela

DES JOURNALISTES SONT AGRESSÉS TANDIS QUE L'AGITATION SOCIALE SE POURSUIT

Haiti

SPANISH JOURNALIST KILLED, AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER WOUNDED

Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières,RSF) has voiced deep concern about the situation in Haiti after Spanish television journalist Ricardo Ortega was killed and American news photographer Michael Laughlin was wounded in Port-au-Prince shootings on 7 March 2004.

Venezuela

JOURNALISTS ATTACKED AS CIVIL UNREST WORSENS

A growing number of journalists in various media have been wounded, assaulted, or threatened during the current clashes between the government forces of President Hugo Chávez and the opposition, report the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF), and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Colombia

Un expert des Nations Unies appelle à une meilleure protection pour les journalistes de Colombie

Chile

LA SIP DÉPÊCHE UNE DÉLÉGATION AU CHILI

Cuba

CUBA: SIGNEZ UNE PÉTITION DE REPORTERS SANS FRONTIÈRES POUR FAIRE LIBÉRER LE JOURNALISTE CUBAIN EMPRISONNÉ RAÚL RIVERO

United States

LE PEN SE JOINT AUX LIBRAIRES ET AUX BIBLIOTHÉCAIRES DANS UNE CAMPAGNE CONTRE LE « PATRIOT ACT »

Colombia

Experto de ONU insta a aumentar protección para periodistas Colombianos

Cuba

FIRME UNA CARTA PARA AYUDAR A LIBERAR A PERIODISTA CUBANO

United States

PEN SE UNE A LIBREROS Y BIBLIOTECARIOS EN CAMPAÑA CONTRA LEY PATRIÓTICA

Colombia

UN Expert Urges More Protection for Colombian Journalists

2 March 2004

Chile

IAPA SENDS DELEGATION TO CHILE

A delegation of Inter American Press Association (IAPA) members is visiting Chile this week to assess the state of press freedom in the country.

United States

PEN JOINS LIBRARIANS, BOOKSELLERS IN CAMPAIGN AGAINST PATRIOT ACT

PEN American Center (PEN) has joined librarians, writers and booksellers across the United States to launch a nation-wide campaign in support of legislation to amend the controversial USA Patriot Act.

Paraguay

SPP ORGANIZARÁ SEMINARIO DE LIBRE EXPRESIÓN EN PARAGUAY

Peru

LOCUTOR DE RADIO ASESINADO

Costa Rica

TRIBUNAL INTERNACIONAL EXAMINA CASO DE DIFAMACIÓN

Cuba

UN JOURNALISTE CUBAIN EMPRISONNÉ REMPORTE LE PRIX DE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE DE L'UNESCO

Paraguay

LE SPP TIENDRA AU PARAGUAY UN SÉMINAIRE SUR LA LIBRE EXPRESSION

Costa Rica

UNE COUR INTERNATIONALE ENTEND UNE AFFAIRE DE DIFFAMATION

Peru

UN ANIMATEUR DE LA RADIO EST ASSASSINÉ

Haiti

LES ATTAQUES CONTRE LA PRESSE PRENNENT DE L'AMPLEUR

Cuba

JAILED CUBAN JOURNALIST WINS UNESCO PRESS FREEDOM PRIZE

UNESCO has awarded the 2004 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to Cuban journalist Raúl Rivero Castañeda in honour of his "brave and longstanding commitment to independent reporting."

Paraguay

SPP TO HOST FREE-EXPRESSION SEMINAR IN PARAGUAY

The Paraguay Union of Journalists (Sindicato de Periodistas del Paraguay, SPP) is teaming up with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) to run a seminar next month aimed at giving journalists in Paraguay the proper tools to better report press-freedom issues.

Peru

RADIO HOST MURDERED

The Institute for Press Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) are calling for an investigation into the murder of Antonio De La Torre Echeandía, a radio journalist stabbed to death on 14 February 2004.

Argentina

LA SIP DONNE DES COURS DE FORMATION EN SÉCURITÉ EN ARGENTINE

Colombia

DES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX ÉVALUENT LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE EN COLOMBIE

Nicaragua

UN JOURNALISTE EST ABATTU

Argentina

SIP CELEBRA CURSO DE CAPACITACIÓN EN SEGURIDAD EN ARGENTINA

Colombia

MIEMBROS DE IFEX EVALÚAN LIBERTAD DE PRENSA EN COLOMBIA

Nicaragua

PERIODISTA MUERTO A TIROS

Argentina

IAPA HOLDS SAFETY TRAINING COURSE IN ARGENTINA

Reporters and editors from some of the most dangerous countries in Latin America for journalists are receiving important safety training in Argentina this week, thanks to the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

Colombia

IFEX MEMBERS ASSESS PRESS FREEDOM IN COLOMBIA

Four IFEX members held a panel discussion this week in Colombia to look at the conflict-ridden country's prospects for press freedom in 2004. They said journalists face numerous challenges in reporting the news, including physical violence, impunity and a new anti-terrorism law that threatens their ability to protect sources.

Nicaragua

JOURNALIST SHOT DEAD

Five IFEX members are calling for an investigation into the murder of Carlos José Guadamuz, a Nicaraguan journalist gunned down last week in broad daylight in the capital, Managua.

Colombia

DES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX CRITIQUENT UNE LOI ANTITERRORISTE

Colombia

MIEMBROS DE IFEX CRITICAN LEY ANTITERRORISMO

Colombia

IFEX MEMBERS CRITICISE ANTI-TERRORISM LAW

IFEX members are taking Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to task over his government's human rights record this week as he lobbies European Union (EU) officials in Brussels for more aid. They are calling attention to a new anti-terrorism law that poses a serious threat to press freedom, and to the impunity surrounding the murders of journalists in Colombia.

Canada

POLICÍA FEDERAL ALLANA CASA DE PERIODISTA

Canada

LA POLICE FÉDÉRALE EFFECTUE UNE DESCENTE AU DOMICILE D'UNE JOURNALISTE

Canada

FEDERAL POLICE RAID JOURNALIST'S HOME

Canada's anti-terrorism legislation, passed shortly after the September 11 attacks on the United States, came under heavy criticism from IFEX members last week after federal police raided the home and office of "Ottawa Citizen" reporter Julie O'Neill in pursuit of the journalists's confidential sources.

Cuba

CASTRO RESSERRE SON ÉTREINTE SUR L'INTERNET

Haiti

DES ATTENTATS OBLIGENT DES STATIONS DE RADIO À QUITTER LES ONDES

Haiti

ATAQUES OBLIGAN A ESTACIONES DE RADIO A SALIR DEL AIRE

Cuba

CASTRO ESTRECHA CONTROL SOBRE INTERNET

Cuba

CASTRO TIGHTENS GRIP ON INTERNET

Surfing the Net in Cuba may now come at a higher price following a new law giving authorities greater powers to monitor online traffic and impede access to the Internet, warn Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF), Freedom House and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).

Haiti

ATTACKS FORCE RADIO STATIONS OFF THE AIR

As opposition protests aimed at ousting Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from power continue to escalate, media are feeling the pressure, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Brazil

Brésil : Des journalistes d'enquête s'organisent

Mexico

DES JUGES ET DES JOURNALISTES MEXICAINS ENTAMENT LE DIALOGUE

Brazil

BRASIL: PERIODISTAS DE INVESTIGACIÓN SE ORGANIZAN

Mexico

JUECES Y PERIODISTAS MEXICANOS INICIAN DIÁLOGO

Brazil

Brazilian Investigative Journalists Organise

13 January 2004

Mexico

MEXICAN JUDGES, JOURNALISTS ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE

Judges and journalists from Mexico will be engaging in dialogue this week to deepen understanding on press freedom and the law, reports the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

Colombia

UN JOURNALISTE DE LA TÉLÉVISION EST ABATTU

Costa Rica

UNE JOURNALISTE EST ASSASSINÉE

Colombia

PERIODISTA DE TV BALEADO

Costa Rica

REPORTERA ASESINADA

Colombia

TV JOURNALIST GUNNED DOWN

IFEX members have expressed concern over the murder of broadcast journalist William Soto Cheng, shot dead by unknown assailants in Buenaventura, Colombia on 18 December, 2003.

Costa Rica

REPORTER KILLED

Costa Rican authorities are investigating the motive behind the murder of reporter Ivannia Mora Rodríguez, who was shot and killed on 23 December, 2003, while driving her car in the town of Curridabat, report the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Honduras

UN JOURNALISTE EST ABATTU

Honduras

PERIODISTA BALEADO

Honduras

JOURNALIST GUNNED DOWN

In Honduras, where murders of journalists are almost unheard of, Germán Antonio Rivas was gunned down in the parking lot of his television station in Santa Rosa de Copán on 26 November, sparking outrage from IFEX members.

Venezuela

LA SIP ET L'IIP DIRIGENT UNE DÉLÉGATION AU VENEZUELA

Colombia

DES JOURNALISTES AURAIENT ÉTÉ TUÉS

Venezuela

SIP E IPI ENCABEZAN DELEGACIÓN A VENEZUELA

Colombia

PERIODISTAS SUPUESTAMENTE ASESINADOS

Venezuela

IAPA, IPI LEAD DELEGATION TO VENEZUELA

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the International Press Institute (IPI) are visiting Venezuela this week to lobby for press freedom guarantees in the run-up to a possible referendum that could decide the political future of President Hugo Chávez.

Colombia

JOURNALISTS REPORTEDLY KILLED

The Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para libertad de la prensa, FLIP), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) are investigating the reported murders of two journalists in India and Colombia this week to determine whether they were killed because of their work.

Cuba

DES JOURNALISTES INCARCÉRÉS SONT REMIS EN LIBERTÉ

Colombia

UNE ANIMATRICE DE LA RADIO EST ASSASSINÉE

South America

IAPA LAUNCHES SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAM FOR LATIN AMERICAN JOURNALISTS

Journalists from some of Latin America's most imperiled countries are gaining valuable safety-training skills in the United States this week, courtesy of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and British risk assessment company Centurion.

Colombia

RADIO HOST KILLED

IFEX members are calling on Colombian authorities to investigate the murder of Zully Esther Codina, a radio host shot dead in the city of Santa Marta on 11 November while waiting for a bus near her home.

Colombia

UN PROJET DE LOI ANTITERRORISTE SOULÈVE L'INQUIÉTUDE

Colombia

COLOMBIA: PROYECTO DE LEY ANTITERRORISMO SUSCITA ALARMA

Colombia

ANTI-TERRORISM BILL RAISES ALARM

The ability of journalists in Colombia to protect the confidentiality of their sources will be threatened if a proposed anti-terrorism bill is passed by the country's Senate, warns Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Guatemala

QUATRE JOURNALISTES SONT ENLEVÉS DANS UN CLIMAT D'INTIMIDATION

Guatemala

CUATRO PERIODISTAS SECUESTRADOS EN CLIMA DE INTIMIDACIÓN

Bolivia

AU MILIEU DE LA TOURMENTE POLITIQUE, DES JOURNALISTES SONT CIBLÉS

Guatemala

FOUR JOURNALISTS KIDNAPPED AMID CLIMATE OF INTIMIDATION

Freedom of expression in Guatemala is under the spotlight this week, following the kidnapping of four Guatemalan journalists from the daily "Prensa Libre" by former paramilitary fighters in La Libertad.

Bolivia

PERIODISTAS ATACADOS DURANTE AGITACIÓN POLÍTICA

Cuba

IAPA HIGHLIGHTS CUBA AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) singled out Cuba as the leading violator of press freedom in the Americas at its annual General Assembly last week. The conference included sessions examining the state of press freedom in 25 countries.

Bolivia

JOURNALISTS TARGETED AMID POLITICAL UPHEAVAL

Numerous IFEX members have called attention to attacks and threats on journalists in Bolivia amid massive popular demonstrations that left more than 50 dead and led to the resignation last Friday of president Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada.

Colombia

UN ANNONCEUR DE LA RADIO EST ASSASSINÉ

Colombia

ASESINAN A PRESENTADOR DE RADIO

Colombia

RADIO ANNOUNCER MURDERED

The Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para la libertad de prensa, FLIP) is investigating the motives behind the murder of José Nel Muñoz, a radio announcer whose body was found near Puerto Libertad, Putumayo, on 5 October. Muñoz had gone missing the previous day after journeying from Puerto Asís to Puerto Libertad to host an event. His body was retrieved by his wife and local journalists, who said Muñoz may have been tortured, according to FLIP.

United States

L'érosion des libertés aux États-Unis représente une « nouvelle norme », dit un rapport

United States

Erosión de libertad estadounidense es "nueva norma", dice informe

United States

Erosion of US Freedoms a "New Norm," says Report

7 October 2003

Colombia

DES JOURNALISTES COLOMBIENS REÇOIVENT DE LA FORMATION EN SÉCURITÉ

Colombia

PERIODISTAS COLOMBIANOS RECIBEN CAPACITACIÓN EN SEGURIDAD

Colombia

COLOMBIAN JOURNALISTS RECEIVE SAFETY TRAINING

Fifteen journalists from Colombia gained new skills in safety training last week, thanks to efforts led by the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para la libertad de prensa, FLIP) and the Antonio Nariño Project (Proyecto Antonio Nariño).

Colombia

LA FLIP LANCE UN MANUEL DE SÉCURITÉ POUR LES JOURNALISTES COLOMBIENS

Colombia

FLIP PRESENTA MANUAL DE SEGURIDAD PARA PERIODISTAS COLOMBIANOS

Colombia

FLIP LAUNCHES SAFETY MANUAL FOR COLOMBIAN JOURNALISTS

In Colombia, where dozens of journalists have been killed in the past decade and hundreds more threatened because of their work, the media need to know how to protect themselves. Now they have a guide containing just such information, thanks to the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para la libertad de prensa, FLIP).

United States

LE TRIBUNAL BLOQUE LES RÉFORMES SUR LA PROPRIÉTÉ DES MÉDIAS

Cuba

LES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX EXPRIMENT LEUR PRÉOCCUPATION DEVANT LA GRÈVE DE LA FAIM QUE FONT DES JOURNALISTES

United States

TRIBUNAL OBSTACULIZA REFORMAS A PROPIEDAD DE MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIÓN

Cuba

MIEMBROS DE IFEX EXPRESAN INQUIETUD POR PERIODISTAS EN HUELGA DE HAMBRE

Peru

IPYS REVAMPS WEBSITE

The Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) has revamped its website, adding new features, including an archive containing some of the best investigative reporting in the region over the past 20 years.

United States

COURT BLOCKS MEDIA OWNERSHIP REFORMS

A United States Federal Court has blocked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from proceeding with media ownership reforms allowing companies to increase ownership of local television and radio stations, reports the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Cuba

IFEX MEMBERS EXPRESS CONCERN OVER JOURNALISTS ON HUNGER STRIKE

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) have expressed concern over the prison conditions of independent Cuban journalists who were sentenced earlier this year to lengthy prison terms.

Honduras

Relator de la OEA visitá Honduras

Honduras

OAS RAPPORTEUR TO VISIT HONDURAS

The Organization of American States' Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Eduardo Bertoni, will visit Honduras from 3 to 5 September to assess the state of free expression in the country and to promote the standards established by the Inter-American System for the Protection of Human Rights.

Colombia

SE SOSPECHA QUE REBELDES MATARON A UN PERIODISTA Y LESIONARON A OTRO

Colombia

UN JOURNALISTE EST TUÉ ET UN AUTRE BLESSÉ : ON SOUPÇONNE LES REBELLES

Colombia

REBELS SUSPECTED AS ONE JOURNALIST KILLED, ONE INJURED

On 22 August, Juan Carlos Benavides Arévalo, a journalist with the community radio station Manantial Estéreo, was shot and killed at a checkpoint near the southern town of Puerto Caicedo, report the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa, FLIP), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). Jaime Conrado Juajibioy Cuarán, Benavides' colleague at the station, was also seriously injured when suspected rebels shot at their vehicle, which did not stop at the roadblock. The two journalists were travelling with a group to a meeting between President Alvaro Uribe and regional officials in Puerto Asís.

Haiti

LE GOUVERNEMENT HAÏTIEN PROMET DE PASSER EN REVUE LES AFFAIRES

Haiti

GOBIERNO DE HAITÍ PROMETE EXAMINAR CASOS DE LIBERTAD DE PRENSA

Haiti

HAITIAN GOVERNMENT PROMISES TO REVIEW PRESS-FREEDOM CASES

The government of Haiti has promised to report on the status of investigations into the murders of journalists and other press-freedom violations, following recent meetings with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Mexico

LE RAPPORTEUR DE L'OEA EN VISITE AU MEXIQUE

Brazil

LA SIP ENCOURAGE LE DIALOGUE ENTRE JOURNALISTES ET JUGES AU BRÉSIL

United States

INDEX ON CENSORSHIP EXAMINE LA LIBERTÉ DE PAROLE AUX ÉTATS-UNIS

Mexico

RELATOR DE LA OEA VISITARÁ MÉXICO

Brazil

SIP PROMUEVE DIÁLOGO DE JUECES Y PERIODISTAS EN BRASIL

United States

ÍNDICE DE LA CENSURA EXAMINA LIBERTAD DE PALABRA EN ESTADOS UNIDOS

Mexico

OAS RAPPORTEUR TO VISIT MEXICO

The Organization of American States' Special Rapporteur on Free Expression, Eduardo Bertoni, will visit Mexico from 18 to 26 August to assess the state of free expression there, reports the Rapporteur's Office.

Brazil

IAPA PROMOTES JOURNALIST-JUDGE DIALOGUE IN BRAZIL

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) will hold a conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on 29 August, bringing judges and journalists from all across Brazil to dialogue on press-freedom issues.

United States

INDEX ON CENSORSHIP EXAMINES FREE SPEECH IN AMERICA

Index on Censorship, the quarterly magazine on freedom of expression, has devoted its latest issue to America, a country where free speech is considered sacred yet now appears "inconvenient or unpatriotic" in the wake of September 11. "Rewriting America" looks at the most powerful country in the world through the words of local people on the frontlines of free expression.

Haiti

Le rapporteur spécial de l'OEA demande la fin de l'impunité en Haïti

Haiti

RELATOR DE LA OEA INSTA A PONER FIN A IMPUNIDAD IN HAITÍ

Cuba

LA FONDATION KNIGHT APPUIE UN MAGAZINE CUBAIN

Cuba

Fundación Knight apoya revista cubana

Cuba

Knight Foundation Supports Independent Cuban Magazine

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has awarded a US$188,000 grant to CubaNet News to "improve the flow of news into and out of Cuba," where dozens of journalists were sentenced in March to lengthy prison terms as part of a sweeping crackdown on free expression.

Panama

LE RAPPORTEUR DE L'OEA DÉPOSE UN RAPPORT SUR LE PANAMA

Guatemala

DES MEMBRES DE L'IFEX ATTIRENT L'ATTENTION SUR LES AGRESSIONS CONTRE LES JOURNALISTES

Panama

OAS RAPPORTEUR ISSUES REPORT ON PANAMA

The Organization of American States' Rapporteur on Free Expression, Eduardo Bertoni, has called on the Panamanian government to immediately repeal all "desacato" or insult laws, saying, "It is wrong to deprive anyone of his/her liberty to express views about public officials."

Guatemala

IFEX MEMBERS CALL ATTENTION TO ATTACKS ON JOURNALISTS

As Guatemala prepares for presidential elections in November, IFEX members are calling attention to an increasing number of attacks and threats against journalists. Journalists Against Corruption (Periodistas frente a la corrupción, PFC) says there have been 18 attacks in the past seven months, half of them occurring in June and July. Four of the cases involved members of the independent news agency Centro de Reportes Informativos sobre Guatemala (CERIGUA), whose director, Ileana Alamilla, heads the Association of Guatemalan Journalists' (APG) Press Freedom Committee.

Canada

UN AFGHAN PREMIER PARTICIPANT AU PROGRAMME DE PLACEMENT DE PEN CANADA

El Salvador

ARTICLE 19 PRÉSENTE UN RAPPORT AUX NATIONS UNIES

Brazil

UN TROISIÈME JOURNALISTE PERD LA VIE EN UN MOIS

Canada

AFGHANI BECOMES FIRST PARTICIPANT IN PEN CANADA PLACEMENT PROGRAM

An Afghani writer now living in Canada will be the first participant in a new placement program assisting writers whose professional and cultural contributions have been imperiled by the need to leave their home countries, PEN Canada has announced. Saboor Siasang will begin a four-week writing residency in October at the Banff Centre in Banff, Alberta.

Brazil

3RD JOURNALIST KILLED IN A MONTH

A third journalist in Brazil has been killed in less than a month, sparking calls of concern from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

United States

UNE CONFÉRENCE DEMANDE AU SOMMET MONDIAL SUR LA SOCIÉTÉ DE L'INFORMATION DE SOUTENIR LA LIBRE EXPRESSION SUR INTERNET

United States

CONFERENCE CALLS ON WSIS TO SUPPORT INTERNET FREE EXPRESSION

More than 100 participants at a New York City conference on "Press Freedom and the Internet" have endorsed the demand that the upcoming World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) be rooted in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Rights, reports Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE).

Canada

IRAQI AWARDED DONNER/CJFE FELLOWSHIP

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression has announced that Iraqi journalist Hikmet El-Hadj has been awarded the Donner/CJFE Journalist-at-Risk Fellowship at Massey College, University of Toronto.

Brazil

TWO JOURNALISTS MURDERED

In Brazil, which the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) calls one of the most dangerous countries in the Americas for journalists, two reporters have been killed in the last week.

Brazil

Brazil: New Press Freedom Network Formed

3 June 2003

Venezuela

JOURNALISTS CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE

Human Rights Watch has released a report calling on the Venezuelan government to appoint a special panel to investigate attacks on journalists, saying authorities are not doing enough to stem violence against the media. "Caught in the Crossfire: Freedom of Expression in Venezuela" concludes that Venezuela's justice system is failing to identify and punish those who attack and threaten journalists.

Cuba

CPJ, RSF MONITOR CUBAN CRACKDOWN ON FREE EXPRESSION

With 28 Cuban journalists behind bars on jail sentences of up to 28 years, IFEX members are actively monitoring the situation and providing up-to-date information online.

Guatemala

RADIO JOURNALIST KILLED, ANOTHER THREATENED

The Press Freedom Committee of the Guatemalan Journalists Association (Comisión de Libertad de Prensa de la Asociación de Periodistas de Guatemala, APG) has condemned the murder of radio journalist Milton Oswaldo Martínez, whose body was found in the department of Huehuetenango on 25 May.

Venezuela

IAPA WARNS AGAINST PROPOSED MEDIA LAWS

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) has called on the Venezuelan government to amend two proposed bills it says are aimed at suppressing media criticism of public officials and creating a "news media oversight council" to monitor the press. IAPA held what it called an "emergency" public forum in Caracas earlier this month calling attention to the so-called draft Law on Social Responsibility in Radio and Television and the Organic Law of Participation by Citizens.

United States

IFJ SOUNDS ALARM ON MEDIA CONCENTRATION

Some of the world's largest media conglomerates in the United States could become more powerful at the expense of democracy and pluralism if secret proposals to amend media ownership regulations are approved, warns the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Argentina

PERIODISTAS PRESIDENT HONOURED WITH IWMF AWARD

Argentine journalist and president of Periodistas, Magdalena Ruiz Guinazu, has been honoured by the International Womens' Media Foundation with a Lifetime Achievement Award for services to journalism and press freedom.

Argentina

PERIODISTAS RAISES PRESS-FREEDOM CONCERNS WITH PRESIDENT

Calling it an important first step in raising awareness of free expression violations with Argentina's political leadership, PERIODISTAS (Asociacion para la Defensa del Periodismo Independiente) met with president Eduardo Duhalde twice last month and raised concerns about the rising number of attacks on journalists in the country.

Colombia

DES MEMBRES DE L?IFEX EXIGENT PLUS DE PROTECTION POUR LES JOURNALISTES

Venezuela

RSF PUBLIE UN RAPPORT SUR LA SITUATION DE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE

Venezuela

RSF PUBLICA NUEVO INFORME SOBRE LIBERTAD DE PRENSA

Colombia

MIEMBROS DE IFEX INSTAN A DAR MÁS PROTECCIÓN A PERIODISTAS

Venezuela

RSF ISSUES NEW REPORT ON PRESS FREEDOM

Journalists in Venezuela are in a tough spot. On one side is an "authoritarian president" who does little to stop his supporters from attacking journalists. On the other side are "intolerant" private media owners who have openly backed attempts to oust him, seriously breaching professional journalism ethics.

Colombia

IFEX MEMBERS URGE MORE PROTECTION FOR JOURNALISTS

The Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundacion para libertad de prensa, FLIP), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) have urged the Colombian government to provide greater protection to journalists in the country, after a radio journalist was assassinated and 16 reporters in the region of Arauca received death threats.

Cuba

IMPONEN SEVERAS PENAS DE CÁRCEL A PERIODISTAS Y DISIDENTES

Cuba

DES JOURNALISTES ET DES DISSIDENTS SONT CONDAMNÉS À DE LOURDES PEINES DE PRISON

Cuba

JOURNALISTS, DISSIDENTS ISSUED HEAVY JAIL TERMS

Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF), the International Press Institute, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Inter American Press Association and the International Federation of Journalists have condemned the Cuban government for imposing jail sentences of up to 25 years on dozens of dissidents, including journalists, following nation-wide arrests of some 80 individuals in the past three weeks.

Cuba

UNE VAGUE DE RÉPRESSION ENTRAÎNE L?ARRESTATION D?UN GRAND NOMBRE DE JOURNALISTES

Guatemala

MONTRE PEU D?EMPRESSEMENT À ENQUÊTER SUR LES AGRESSIONS CONTRE LES JOURNALISTES

Guatemala

GOBIERNO ES LENTO PARA INVESTIGAR ATAQUES CONTRA PERIODISTAS

Cuba

VEINTENAS DE PERIODISTAS ARRESTADOS EN OFENSIVA

Cuba

SCORE OF JOURNALISTS ARRESTED IN CRACKDOWN

Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have called on the Cuban government to release at least 50 dissidents and journalists detained last week in the first wave of arrests the country has seen in months.

Guatemala

GOV'T SLOW TO INVESTIGATE ATTACKS ON JOURNALISTS

Guatemala continues to face a lack of political will to investigate attacks on journalists and end harassment of community broadcasters and print media, says the Press Freedom Commission of the Guatemalan Association of Journalists (Comision de Libertad de Prensa de la Asociacion de Periodistas de Guatemala, APG).

Colombia

ENCORE UN JOURNALISTE ASSASSINÉ

Colombia

OTRO PERIODISTA ASESINADO

Colombia

ANOTHER JOURNALIST KILLED

The Colombian government's journalist protection program has come under criticism after a reporter under its purview was shot and killed early this morning in Arauca.

Colombia

PERIODISTA ASESINADO

Colombia

UN JOURNALISTE EST ASSASSINÉ

Colombia

JOURNALIST KILLED

Radio journalist Oscar Salazar Jaramillo was found stabbed to death in his home yesterday in Sevilla, Colombia. Local authorities did not indicate whether Salazar had received threats, Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) says.

Haiti

LA SITUATION DE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE SE DÉTÉRIORE

Haiti

SE DETERIORAN CONDICIONES DE LA LIBERTAD DE PRENSA

Haiti

PRESS-FREEDOM CONDITIONS DETERIORATING

Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) have expressed serious concern over free-expression conditions in Haiti where recent attacks against the press have forced radio stations to close and journalists to flee the country.

United States

US MEDIA GIVE SHORT SHRIFT TO GOVERNMENT'S SECRET ATTACK ON CIVIL LIBERTIES: FAIR

The United States government has secretly drafted amendments to the USA Patriot Act that would fundamentally jeopardise civil liberties afforded American citizens by the Constitution -- yet it has been virtually ignored by mainstream media, reports the US media watchdog Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR).

Venezuela

LE GOUVERNEMENT ORDONNE UNE ENQUÊTE SUR LES STATIONS DE TÉLÉVISION

Colombia

GROUPES DE DÉFENSE DE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE LANCENT UNE CAMPAGNE DE SÉCURITÉ

Colombia

GRUPOS DE LIBERTAD DE PRENSA INICIAN CAMPAÑA DE SEGURIDAD

Venezuela

GOBIERNO ORDENA INVESTIGAR ESTACIONES DE TELEVISIÓN

South America

THINKTANK LAUNCHES ACCESS TO INFORMATION STUDY

The most up-to-date information on access to information and other free-expression laws in South America's Andean region is now available, thanks to a new study launched by the Andean Commission of Jurists (Comision Andina de Juristas, CAJ).

Colombia

PRESS-FREEDOM GROUPS LAUNCH SAFETY CAMPAIGN

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para libertad de prensa, FLIP) called attention to the safety of journalists in Colombia last week, demanding an end to the assassinations and attacks that have made the country one of the most dangerous for journalists.

Venezuela

GOVERNMENT ORDERS PROBE OF TELEVISION STATIONS

As Venezuela's political crisis continues to escalate, President Hugo Chávez has ordered a probe of five private television stations for alleged violation of broadcasting rules, report Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

Colombia

DES JOURNALISTES SONT LIBÉRÉS

Colombia

PERIODISTAS LIBERADOS

Colombia

JOURNALISTS FREED

Freelance reporters Ruth Morris and Scott Dalton have been released following 11 days of captivity by armed rebels in eastern Colombia, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF). The journalists were in good health and said they were treated decently.

United States

L?EXPERT DES MÉDIAS DE L?OSCE CRITIQUE LE « PATRIOT ACT »

Guatemala

LES AUTORITÉS HARCÈLENT LA PRESSE INDÉPENDANTE

El Salvador

L?IMPUNITÉ EST GÉNÉRALISÉE, SELON UN RAPPORT ANNUEL

Colombia

DEUX JOURNALISTES SONT ENLEVÉS, TROIS AUTRES SONT REMIS EN LIBERTÉ

United States

EXPERTOS EN LOS MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIÓN DE OSCE CRITICAN LEY PATRIÓTICA DE EE.UU.

El Salvador

REINA LA IMPUNIDAD, DICE INFORME ANUAL

Guatemala

AUTORIDADES ACOSAN PRENSA INDEPENDIENTE

Colombia

DOS PERIODISTAS SECUESTRADOS, OTROS TRES LIBERADOS

United States

OSCE MEDIA EXPERT CRITICISES USA PATRIOT ACT

The United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has come under criticism from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation's (OSCE) Media Freedom Representative for investigating library records, newspaper subscriptions and bookstore receipts under the pretext of anti-terrorism.

El Salvador

IMPUNITY RIFE, SAYS ANNUAL REPORT

Probidad, the El Salvador-based anti-corruption organisation which administers the regional initiative Journalists Against Corruption (Periodistas frente a la corrupción, PFC), has just released its 2002 survey of free expression in El Salvador.

Guatemala

AUTHORITIES HARASS INDEPENDENT PRESS

The Guatemalan Association of Journalists' Press Freedom Committee (Asociacion de Periodistas de Guatemala, APG), the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) and the Inter American Press Association have called on Guatemalan authorities to end harassment of the independent press, following reports that journalists received death threats for reporting on corruption and tax officials demanded that a newspaper publisher hand over its archived records.

Colombia

TWO JOURNALISTS KIDNAPPED, THREE OTHERS RELEASED

As Unites States Special Forces troops arrived in Colombia last week to train Colombian troops in fighting rebels, five foreigners, including three journalists were kidnapped in the space of less than two days, prompting calls of alarm from press-freedom groups, including Colombia's Press Freedom Foundation (Fundacion para la libertad de prensa, FLIP), the Institute for Press and Society and the International Federation of Journalists.

Colombia

LA SIP DÉPÊCHE UNE MISSION SUR LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE

Venezuela

DES JOURNALISTES COINCÉS ENTRE LES TIRS CROISÉS

Colombia

SIP ENVÍA DELEGACIÓN DE LIBERTAD DE PRENSA

Venezuela

PERIODISTAS ATRAPADOS EN FUEGO CRUZADO

Colombia

IAPA SENDS PRESS-FREEDOM DELEGATION

Press-freedom attacks in Colombia will be under the spotlight again this week as an Inter American Press Association (IAPA) delegation arrives in the country to meet with senior government leaders, including President Alvaro Uribe.

Venezuela

JOURNALISTS CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE

As political tensions continue to rise in Venezuela amidst an opposition strike aimed at removing President Hugo Chávez from office, more and more journalists attempting to report on the situation are getting caught in the crossfire, report the Institute for Press and Society (Instito prensa y sociedad, IPYS) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Colombia

LES MEMBRES DE L?IFEX SE MESURENT AUX MENACES CONTRE DES JOURNALISTES

Colombia

MIEMBROS DE IFEX CONFRONTAN AMENAZAS CONTRA PERIODISTAS

United States

US "WAR ON TERRORISM" UNDERMINES HUMAN RIGHTS: HRW

The United States government is undermining human rights principles by ignoring the abuses of its allies in the "war on terrorism," said Human Rights Watch (HRW) today in releasing its 2003 World Report. The report documents the state of human rights, including freedom of expression, in 58 countries during 2002.

Colombia

IFEX MEMBERS CONFRONT THREATS AGAINST JOURNALISTS

Several IFEX members will be joining other press-freedom groups in Bogota, Colombia, in March for a conference calling attention to one of the most serious free-expression problems in the country – threats against journalists and impunity.

Argentina

LES AGRESSIONS CONTRE LES JOURNALISTES SE SONT MULTIPLIÉES EN 2002

Argentina

AGRESIONES CONTRA PERIODISTAS AUMENTARON EN 2002

Argentina

ATTACKS ON JOURNALISTS UP IN 2002

Human rights violations against journalists in Argentina increased by one-third last year compared to 2001, making the country one of the most dangerous for journalists in Latin America, says a year-end report released by the Argentine Federation of Media Workers (Federacion Argentina de Trabajadores de Prensa, FATPREN).

Colombia

UNE MISSION CONSTATE QUE LES MÉDIAS DE PROVINCE SONT EN DANGERCOLOMBIE :

Colombia

MISSION FINDS PROVINCIAL MEDIA IN DANGER

In Colombia's eastern province of Arauca, the news is in danger. Local journalists say freedom of expression has worsened since the murder last year of influential journalist Efraín Varela, and will be under threat as long as government troops and armed groups continue to violate journalists' right to inform without censorship or intimidation.

Argentina

ATAQUES CONTRA LA PRENSA PROMUEVEN "CLIMA DE TEMOR"

Argentina

LES ATTAQUES CONTRE LA PRESSE ALIMENTENT UN « CLIMAT DE PEUR »

Cuba

UN RAPPORT DE RSF DÉNONCE LE MONOPOLE DE L?ÉTAT SUR LES MÉDIAS

Cuba

INFORME DE RSF CONDENA MONOPOLIO DE MEDIOS ESTATALES

Argentina

ATTACKS ON PRESS FOSTER CLIMATE OF FEAR

Press-freedom groups are calling attention to increasing attacks against journalists in Argentina that are fostering what the Committee to Protect Journalists calls a "climate of fear among members of the press."

Cuba

RSF REPORT CONDEMNS STATE MEDIA MONOPOLY

Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) has just published a report on Cuba, calling on the European Union (EU) to impose stringent conditions on the Cuban government before granting economic aid under an international trade pact.

Venezuela

DE NOMBREUX JOURNALISTES SONT ATTAQUÉS

Venezuela

VEINTENAS DE PERIODISTAS AGREDIDOS

Venezuela

SCORES OF JOURNALISTS ATTACKED

As tensions mount in Venezuela amidst a general strike protesting the government of President Hugo Chávez, at least 14 journalists have been attacked in recent days while attempting to report on the situation, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS).

Colombia

L?ADMINISTRATEUR D?UNE STATION DE RADIO EST ASSASSINÉ

Colombia

ASESINAN A GERENTE DE ESTACIÓN DE RADIO

Colombia

RADIO STATION MANAGER MURDERED

Gimbler Perdomo Zamora, a radio station manager and former politician in Gigante, southwestern Colombia, was shot and killed on 1 December, report the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundacion para la libertad de prensa, FLIP), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Haiti

INFORME DE AMNISTÍA SE CENTRA EN IMPUNIDAD

Haiti

LE RAPPORT D?AMNISTIE DÉNONCE L?IMPUNITÉ

Haiti

AMNESTY REPORT TARGETS IMPUNITY

A climate of intimidation and violence against journalists in Haiti is jeopardising the free-expression gains made when democratic elections were restored eight years ago, says a new report by Amnesty International.

Colombia

UN SÉMINAIRE SUR LA LIBRE EXPRESSION SE PENCHE SUR L?ÉTHIQUE DES MÉDIAS

Colombia

SEMINARIO DE LIBRE EXPRESIÓN ABORDA ÉTICA DE MEDIOS

Venezuela

IPYS CELEBRA SEMINARIOS DE LIBERTAD DE PRENSA PARA PERIODISTAS JÓVENES

Colombia

FREE-EXPRESSION SEMINAR TACKLES MEDIA ETHICS

Colombia's Foundation for New Latin American Journalism (Fundación Nuevo Periodismo Iberoamericano, FNPI) and the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) are holding a seminar on freedom of expression in December focused on media ethics and instilling an awareness of free-expression rights amongst the press, reports International Journalists' Network (IJNet).

Venezuela

IPYS HOLDS PRESS FREEDOM SEMINARS FOR YOUNG JOURNALISTS

Amidst Venezuela's tense political situation, three organisations, including the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Libertad, IPYS), have been holding country-wide forums for young journalists aimed at creating a space for dialogue and fostering a culture of peace.

Chile

ABOLITION DE LA CENSURE DU CINÉMA; LE WPFC INVITE À L'ÉLIMINATION DES LOIS « DESACATO »

United States

LE CONGRÈS DÉPOSE LE PROJET DE LOI SUR LA LIBERTÉ DE L?INTERNET

Chile

CINEMATOGRÁFICA ABOLIDA / WPFC Y HRW INSTAN A ELIMINACIÓN DE LEYES DE DESACATO

United States

CONGRESO PRESENTA PROYECTO DE LEY DE LIBERTAD EN INTERNET

United States

CONGRESS TABLES INTERNET FREEDOM BILL

Internet free-expression campaigners may have cause for hope: the United States Congress is considering a bill calling for the creation of a special office to combat Internet censorship in authoritarian regimes around the world, report International Journalists' Network (IJNet) and the Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER).

Chile

FILM CENSORSHIP ABOLISHED / WPFC, HRW URGE ELIMINATION OF "DESACATO" LAWS

For the first time in 10 years, Chileans will be able to see more than 1,000 films that had previously been banned following Senate approval of a new law abolishing film censorship, reports PERIODISTAS (la Asociacion para la Defensa del Periodismo Independiente).

Uruguay

LE PROJET DE LOI SUR L?ACCÈS À L?INFORMATION FRANCHIT LE PREMIER OBSTACLE

Uruguay

PROYECTO DE LEY DE ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN SALVÓ PRIMER OBSTÁCULO

Uruguay

ACCESS TO INFORMATION BILL PASSES FIRST HURDLE

Uruguay's Congress has given its preliminary approval to a new access to information bill that would enable journalists and the public to obtain government records for the first time, report the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC).

Brazil

AUTORIDADES PRESIONADAS PARA QUE INVESTIGUEN ASESINATO DE PERIODISTA

Brazil

LES AUTORITÉS SUBISSENT DES PRESSIONS POUR ENQUÊTER SUR LE MEURTRE D'UN JOURNALISTE

Brazil

AUTHORITIES UNDER PRESSURE TO INVESTIGATE JOURNALIST'S MURDER

During a week that has seen one journalist killed and another shot in Brazil, free-expression groups are stepping up pressure on authorities to investigate the crimes and end the impunity surrounding attacks on the press.

Argentina

LES AGRESSIONS CONTRE LES JOURNALISTES EMPIRENT

Argentina

EMPEORAN AGRESIONES CONTRA PERIODISTAS

Argentina

ATTACKS AGAINST JOURNALISTS WORSEN

PERIODISTAS (Asociacion para la Defensa del Periodismo Independiente) has released its annual report on freedom of expression in Argentina, saying a 50-per-cent increase in the use of the courts to silence journalists highlights the need for legal reform.

Colombia

UN JOURNALISTE EST TUÉ DANS UNE EMBUSCADE

Colombia

PERIODISTA ASESINADO EN EMBOSCADA

Colombia

JOURNALIST KILLED IN AMBUSH

Both the Bogotá-based Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundacion para la Libertad de Prensa, FLIP) and the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) in Peru report that journalist Américo Viáfara was killed on 16 September in the city of Calí.

Venezuela

FERA ENQUÊTE SUR LA SITUATION DE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE

Venezuela

DELEGACIÓN DE IPI Y SIP INVESTIGARÁ ESTADO DE LIBERTAD DE PRENSA

Venezuela

IPI, IAPA DELEGATION TO PROBE STATE OF PRESS FREEDOM

The International Press Institute (IPI) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) are gearing up to send a delegation of media professionals to assess the state of press freedom in Venezuela.

Venezuela

LES JOURNALISTES PRIS DANS LE FEU CROISÉ D?UN CONFLIT POLITIQUE

Venezuela

PERIODISTAS ATRAPADOS EN FUEGO CRUZADO DE CONFLICTO POLÍTICO

Venezuela

JOURNALISTS CAUGHT IN CROSSFIRE OF CHÁVEZ-MEDIA CONFLICT

Journalists in Venezuela are being used as ammunition in the increasingly polarised conflict between President Chávez and the private media, according to a report released last week by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Based on more than a dozen interviews CPJ conducted in May with Venezuelan journalists, the report documents the growing trend of journalists who find themselves victims in a war of words between Chávez and media owners who have become ardent opponents of the president.

Colombia

DISTRIBUIDORA DE PERIÓDICO ASESINADA

Colombia

LA DISTRIBUTRICE D?UN JOURNAL EST ASSASSINÉE

Peru

NEW ACCESS-TO-INFORMATION LAW AVAILABLE ONLINE

The world's newest access-to-information law is now available online (in Spanish only). On 27 June, Peru's Congress passed the Access to Information Law, a move the Peruvian Press Council (PPC) calls a step in the right direction. PPC has been leading a campaign to create such a law. It says the law needs to be strengthened so that it can bring an end to the "culture of secrecy" in Peru and encourage greater government transparency.

Colombia

NEWSPAPER DISTRIBUTOR ASSASSINATED

Members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) are suspected of being responsible for the murder of newspaper distributor Elizabeth Obando, abducted from a bus and shot on 11 July in Playarrica, report the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundacion para la Libertad de Prensa, FLIP) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Venezuela

LA FIJ INVITE AU DIALOGUE ENTRE CHÁVEZ ET LES MÉDIAS

Colombia

UN JOURNALISTE EST ASSASSINÉ, DEUX AUTRES ÉCHAPPENT À LA MORT

Colombia

PERIODISTA ASESINADO; OTROS DOS ESCAPAN DE ASESINATO

Venezuela

FIP INSTA AL DIÁLOGO ENTRE CHÁVEZ Y MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIÓN

Colombia

JOURNALIST KILLED; TWO OTHERS ESCAPE ASSASSINATION

The Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundacion para la libertad de prensa, FLIP), Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) and the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) have reported yet another journalist murdered in Colombia. On the evening of 17 July, Dennis Segundo Sánchez, long-time radio journalist for 95.5 Estero, was shot dead in front of his house in El Carmen de Bolivar, a town north of Bogotá.

Venezuela

IFJ URGES DIALOGUE BETWEEN CHÁVEZ AND MEDIA

Following a fact-finding mission to Venezuela last month, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has issued a report criticising both President Hugo Chávez and media organisations for contributing to a climate of censorship and hostility during the brief coup d'état in April.

Costa Rica

ASESINATO DE POPULAR PERIODISTA ESTÁ ENVUELTO EN SILENCIO

Costa Rica

LE SILENCE ENVELOPPE LE MEURTRE D?UN JOURNALISTE POPULAIRE

Costa Rica

SILENCE SURROUNDS MURDER OF POPULAR JOURNALIST

A year after popular Costa Rican radio journalist Parmenio Medina was shot and killed near his home in San José, a "silence" has descended on the investigation into his murder and journalists are afraid to conduct their own inquiries, says a new report issued by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Colombia

DEUX PROPRIÉTAIRES DE STATIONS DE RADIO SONT ASSASSINÉS

Colombia

ASESINAN A PROPIETARIOS DE ESTACIONES DE RADIO

Colombia

RADIO STATION OWNERS MURDERED

In Colombia - dubbed "the most dangerous country in the world" for journalists by the International Press Institute (IPI) - two radio station proprietors have been murdered in the space of a week.

Canada

CANWEST GLOBAL DESPIDE A EDITOR VETERANO

Haiti

CPJ HACE LLAMADO A TERMINAR CON IMPUNIDAD EN ASESINATOS DE PERIODISTAS

Canada

LA SOCIÉTÉ CANWEST GLOBAL CONGÉDIE UN RÉDACTEUR EN CHEF D?EXPÉRIENCE

Haiti

LE CPJ EXIGE LA FIN DE L?IMPUNITÉ POUR LES ASSASSINS DES JOURNALISTES

Haiti

CPJ CALLS FOR END TO IMPUNITY IN JOURNALISTS' MURDERS

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is urging Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to end the impunity surrounding murders and violent attacks on journalists, saying a "troubling atmosphere of intimidation and fear prevails throughout the country. The group recently completed a three-day mission to the country, during which it spoke to numerous journalists. They told CPJ that, compared to the brutally repressive regimes of Francois and Jean Claude Duvalier, they felt freer under Aristide's rule but more intimidated. "The threats can come from anywhere," including the so-called "OP" community groups that operate like paramilitary groups, they said.

Canada

CANWEST GLOBAL FIRES LONG-TIME PUBLISHER

Canada's reputation as a country that upholds press freedom is being put to the test following the firing of a long-time newspaper publisher by CanWest Global Communications Corp (CanWest Global), the country's largest media conglomerate. Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) says "Ottawa Citizen" publisher Russell Mills was told by CanWest Global that he lost his job because he published an article and editorial about scandals involving Prime Minister Jean Chrétien without first submitting them to head office for approval. Mills was fired from his post on 16 June.

Colombia

INFORME DE FLIP E IPYS REVELA CLIMA DE TEMOR DURANTE ELECCIONES

Brazil

REPORTERO DE INVESTIGACIÓN ASESINADO EN MEDIO DE CLIMA DE IMPUNIDAD

Colombia

RÉVÈLE L?EXISTENCE D?UN CLIMAT DE PEUR PENDANT LA CAMPAGNE ÉLECTORALE

Brazil

UN JOURNALISTE D'ENQUÊTE EST ASSASSINÉ DANS UNE ATMOSPHÈRE D'IMPUNITÉ

Colombia

FLIP, IPYS REPORT REVEALS CLIMATE OF FEAR DURING ELECTIONS

The recent presidential elections in Colombia took place in a climate of fear and intimidation which prevented the press from reporting fully on the situation, concludes a report recently issued by the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundacion para la Libertad de Prensa, FLIP), the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) and the Antonio Nariño Project (Proyecto Antonio Nariño).

Brazil

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER MURDERED AMIDST CLIMATE OF IMPUNITY

Press-freedom groups are mourning the death of award-winning Brazilian investigative reporter Tim Lopes, tortured and murdered by a gang allegedly led by a Rio de Janeiro drug trafficker. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) say authorities confirmed Lopes' death on 9 June after police arrested two members of a gang who said the journalist was kidnapped, tortured and speared to death.

Panama

PERIODISTA ABSUELTO DE DIFAMACIÓN

Guatemala

DICE QUE SITUACIÓN DE DERECHOS HUMANOS ES "GRAVE"

Panama

UN JOURNALISTE EST ACQUITTÉ D?UNE ACCUSATION DE DIFFAMATION

Guatemala

DES NATIONS UNIES JUGE ?SÉRIEUSE? LA SITUATION DES DROITS DE LA PERSONNE

Panama

JOURNALIST ACQUITTED OF SLANDER

Miguel Antonio Bernal, one of Panama's leading journalists, has been acquitted in a criminal defamation case that has once again focused attention on what the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) calls the country's notoriously restrictive press laws. On 29 May Judge Lorena Hernandez threw out slander charges filed against Bernal by former Police Director José Luis Sosa, a decision the Attorney General immediately announced it would appeal. Luis Sosa filed the charges in 1998 after Bernal stated in a television interview that the National Police should be held responsible for the death of four inmates at the Isla de Coiba prison, says CPJ. If convicted, Bernal could face two years in prison.

Guatemala

UN ENVOY SAYS HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION "SERIOUS"

The United Nations' Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders has declared Guatemala's human rights situation "serious" and demanded the government investigate paramilitary groups' threats against human rights workers, reports the Center of Informative Reports on Guatemala (Centro de Reportes Informativos Sobre Guatemala, CERIGUA).

Argentina

UN PROJET DE LOI PRÉVOIT DES PEINES DE PRISON EN CAS DE RADIODIFFUSION ILLÉGALE

Argentina

PROYECTO DE LEY PROPONE PENAS DE CÁRCEL POR EMISIÓN ILEGAL

Argentina

DRAFT BILL PROPOSES JAIL TERMS FOR ILLEGAL BROADCASTING

A bill before Argentina's Senate proposing jail terms of up to two years for unauthorised broadcasting would unjustly penalise community radio and other non-commercial stations, says the Argentine Association for the Defence of Independent Journalism (la Asociacion para la Defensa del Periodismo Independiente, PERIODISTAS). The group says thousands of unlicenced broadcasters all over the country would be vulnerable to prison sentences, threatening the only information source available to marginal sectors of society.

Cuba

UN ÉCRIVAIN DISSIDENT EST LIBÉRÉ

Colombia

UN JOURNALISTE EST ABATTU

Cuba

ESCRITOR DISIDENTE LIBERADO

Colombia

PERIODISTA MUERTO A TIROS

Cuba

DISSIDENT WRITER FREED

Free-expression groups welcomed the release of dissident Cuban writer Vladimiro Roca Antúnez from prison last week but pressed the Cuban government to free other detained journalists. Roca Antúnez' release came shortly before a high-profile visit to the country by former United States President Jimmy Carter.

Colombia

JOURNALIST SHOT DEAD

Víctor Omar Acosta, a former reporter for several Colombian newspapers and radio stations, has been murdered in the western city of Yumbo, reports the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS). On 14 May, two men shot him three times near his home. He died six hours after being transferred to a hospital in the city of Cali.

Mexico

SIP ENCOMIA NUEVA LEY DE ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN

Mexico

LA SIP SALUE LA NOUVELLE LOI D?ACCÈS À L?INFORMATION

Mexico

IAPA PRAISES NEW ACCESS TO INFORMATION LAW

The government of Mexico has passed the country's first access to information law, drawing praise from the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the Organisation of American States' Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression. Passed by Congress on 30 April, the Law on Transparency and Access to Public Information is a good first step, says IAPA, although "much needs to be done" to ensure "all Mexican citizens will have access to information when they request it."

Colombia

À PRENDRE DES ENGAGEMENTS VIS-À-VIS DE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE

Canada

LE CJFE INVITE LE PUBLIC À DÎNER EN COMPAGNIE D?UNE JOURNALISTE RÉPUTÉE

Colombia

FLIP INVITA A CANDIDATOS A PRESIDENCIA A COMPROMETERSE CON LIBERTAD DE PRENSA

Canada

CJFE INVITA AL PÚBLICO A ALMUERZO CON RENOMBRADA PERIODISTA

Colombia

FLIP INVITES PRESS FREEDOM PLEDGES FROM PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

The Antonio Nariño Project for the Defence of Freedom of Expression and the Right to Information, of which Fundacion para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP) is a partner, is celebrating World Press Freedom Day on 3 May with a conference to present an extensive report on such topics as journalists murdered in the past year (12), attacks against the media (car bombs and violence), threats against journalists (17), and the state of judicial investigations in these cases.

Canada

CJFE INVITES PUBLIC TO LUNCH WITH NOTED JOURNALIST

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) is inviting the public to a lunch-time event on 3 May featuring noted "Globe and Mail" journalist Jan Wong. Participants can enter to win one of six copies of the book "Lunch with Jan Wong," to be signed by the author at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. CJFE will also be on hand to raise awareness of free-expression issues confronting Canada and other parts of the world.

Bolivia

COCHE BOMBA MATA A PERIODISTA

Canada

CJFE PIDE INVESTIGACIÓN PÚBLICA DE CONCENTRACIÓN DE MEDIOS

Colombia

MIEMBROS DE EQUIPO DE NOTICIAS DE TV ASESINADOS

Venezuela

EN ENFRENTAMIENTOS; CHÁVEZ DICE QUE NO HABRÁ MÁS ATAQUES A LA LIBRE EXPRESIÓN

Bolivia

L?EXPLOSION D?UNE VOITURE PIÉGÉE TUE UNE JOURNALISTE

Canada

PUBLIQUE SUR LA CONCENTRATION DE LA PROPRIÉTÉ DES MÉDIAS

Venezuela

CHÁVEZ DIT QU?IL N?Y AURA PLUS D?ATTAQUES CONTRE LA LIBRE EXPRESSION

Colombia

DEUX MEMBRES D?UNE ÉQUIPE DE NOUVELLES TÉLÉVISÉES PERDENT LA VIE

Canada

CJFE CALLS FOR PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO MEDIA CONCENTRATION

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) has released a report taking Canada's largest media company to task for failing to respect the free-expression rights of its employees. The 32-page report, "Not in the Newsroom: CanWest Global, Chain Editorials and Freedom of Expression in Canada," examines the controversy over CanWest Global Corporation's (CanWest Global) handling of editorial disputes with its employees and outside critics.

Bolivia

CAR BOMB KILLS JOURNALIST

Employees of Bolivia's "El Diario" newspaper are in mourning following the murder of executive director Maria Teresa Guzmán in La Paz last week. On 10 April, Guzmán was driving home from work at 10:15 PM when a bomb exploded in the back of her vehicle, says the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). Her husband, "El Diario" General Director Jorge Carrasco Jahnsen, believes the bomb was meant for him instead in response to some investigations the newspaper was about to publish. Carrasco also says his wife's murder was part of a planned campaign against "El Diario," since the newspaper has endured 11 violent attacks in the last six months.

Colombia

TV NEWS CREW MEMBERS KILLED

Two members of a television news crew were killed in Colombia last week while reporting on fighting between army troops and rebels. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says Héctor Sandoval, a cameraman for RCN Television, and Wálter Lopez, a driver for the station, died after coming under fire on 11 April in a mountainous region near Cali, southwest Colombia. They were traveling in an area where army soldiers had been pursuing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas who had recently kidnapped 13 provincial officials.

Venezuela

JOURNALIST KILLED IN CLASHES; CHAVEZ SAYS NO MORE ATTACKS ON FREE EXPRESSION

Amid an extraordinary turn of events last week which saw Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez ousted from office then restored to power within four days, free-expression groups called attention to the death of journalist Jorge Tortoza and the wounding of three others.

Peru

UN SÉMINAIRE SE PENCHE SUR LA QUESTION DE L?ACCÈS À L?INFORMATION

Colombia

UN JOURNALISTE EST ASSASSINÉ

Peru

SEMINARIO ABORDA ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN

Colombia

PERIODISTA ASESINADO

Peru

SEMINAR TACKLES ACCESS TO INFORMATION

ARTICLE 19 and the Paraguay Union of Journalists (Sindicato de Periodistas Paraguay, SPP) will be participating in a seminar this month in Peru that will highlight the need for progressive access to information laws in Latin America. Convened by the Peruvian Press Council (Consejo de la Prensa Peruana, CPP), "Access to State Information: New Challenges for Freedom of Expression on the Continent" will take place 23-24 April in Arequipa. It will raise awareness about the right to freely access information and the challenges to overcoming government secrecy.

Colombia

JOURNALIST MURDERED

The body of journalist Juan Carlos Gomez Diaz has been discovered in Aguachica, northeast Colombia, two days after the 23 year old was abducted by unknown assailants, report the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). Gomez Diaz, a radio announcer and programme assistant at La Voz de Aguachica, disappeared on the night of 1 April after visiting a friend. His body, which bore signs of torture, was found in the Magdalena River.

Colombia

LE CHEF DES PARAMILITAIRES SUBIT UN PROCÈS POUR LE MEURTRE D?UN JOURNALISTE

Colombia

LÍDER PARAMILITAR ENJUICIADO POR ASESINATO DE PERIODISTA

Colombia

PARAMILITARY LEADER ON TRIAL FOR JOURNALIST'S MURDER

More than two years after the murder of Colombian journalist Jaime Garzon, the government has decided to press charges against paramilitary leader Carlos Castaño and two other alleged killers. The Attorney General's Office (AGO) believes it has found sufficient evidence to convict Castaño, Juan Pablo Ortiz Agudelo and Edilberto Antonio Sierra Ayala although it says that it will continue to investigate other leads as the case develops, reports the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS). Castaño is the leader of the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, AUC); forces under his command have murdered at least four journalists since 1999, says the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Cuba

RSF DEMANDE LA REMISE EN LIBERTÉ D?UN JOURNALISTE

Cuba

GRUPOS DE LIBRE EXPRESIÓN PIDEN LIBERACIÓN DE PERIODISTAS ENCARCELADOS

Cuba

FREE EXPRESSION GROUPS CALL FOR JAILED JOURNALISTS' RELEASE

At a time when more than 25 opposition activists have reportedly been arrested in Cuba over the last three weeks, Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) is calling on the government to release four independent journalists currently in jail. The press freedom group is calling for the release of Carlos Alberto Domínguez of the independent press agency Cuba Verdad, independent journalists Lester Téllez Castro and Carlos Brizuela, and Linéa Sur Press agency head Bernardo Arévalo Padron. Arévalo Padron has been imprisoned since November 1997 and is serving a six-year sentence for "insulting" the president and vice-president of Cuba in an interview with a Miami radio station, says RSF. [See IFEX "Communiqu%26#233;" #10-10].">http://communique.ifex.org/articles.cfm?system_id=2878">"Communiqué" #10-10].

Panama

CIDH ESCUCHA PREOCUPACIONES DE PERIODISTAS

Panama

L?IACHR ÉCOUTE LES DOLÉANCES DES JOURNALISTES

Panama

IACHR HEARS JOURNALISTS' CONCERNS

Threats against journalists in Panama - where close to 50 per cent of working reporters face defamation charges, fines and jail sentences - gained attention last week at a hearing convened by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in Washington, D.C. Three journalists, supported by the Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists Against Corruption (Periodistas Frente a la Corrupcion, PFC) and the Center for Justice and International Law (Centro por la Justicia y el Derecho Internacional, CEJIL),

Colombia

L?IMPUNITÉ SÉVIT DANS LES ASSASSINATS DE JOURNALISTES

Colombia

IMPUNIDAD IMPERA EN MUERTES DE PERIODISTAS

Colombia

IMPUNITY REINS OVER JOURNALISTS' DEATHS

The Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS) has released a report calling Colombia's justice system "ineffective and impotent," following a joint investigation with Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières) into press conditions in the war-torn country during 2001. The report finds that of the 12 journalists murdered last year, at least three were linked to the victims' investigative activities. IPYS notes with concern that the possibility of investigating these crimes and bringing their perpetrators to justice continues to be remote. In the last ten years, close to 40 journalists have been killed in the course of their duties; almost none of the murders has resulted in convictions, says IPYS.

Mexico

PERIODISTA ASESINADO; GENERAL DEL EJÉRCITO LIBERADO

Panama

SIP SALUDA NUEVA LEY DE ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN

Mexico

UN JOURNALISTE PERD LA VIE; UN GÉNÉRAL DE L'ARMÉE EST LIBÉRÉ

Panama

LA SIP SALUE LA NOUVELLE LOI SUR L'ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION

Mexico

JOURNALIST KILLED; ARMY GENERAL FREED

Julio Samuel Morales Ferron, a columnist for the daily "El Sol de Medio Día", was murdered on 1 February in Mexico City, becoming the second journalist in two weeks to be killed in the country. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reports that the body of the 79-year old journalist was found in the offices of the Mexican Radio and Television Association (MRTA). His throat had been slit. Morales Ferron was the president of MRTA and also wrote for a number of other media outlets. RSF says a Mexico City prosecutor is rejecting claims that Morales Ferron's death was politically motivated or the subject of a robbery. "El Sol de Medio Día" editor Humberto Hernández says the columnist was not conducting any investigative activities at the time of his murder and his criticisms were not polemic.

Panama

IAPA WELCOMES NEW ACCESS TO INFORMATION LAW

Panama has enacted a new law giving citizens free access to public records and penalizing government officials if they fail to comply with requests, reports the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). Enacted on 22 January, the law states that "every individual or juridical person has the right to request information from government bodies." It also stipulates that if a government official does not provide such information within 30 days, they will be subject to a fine or dismissal.

Canada

FPJQ EXIGE INVESTIGACIÓN DE CONCENTRACIÓN DE MEDIOS

Guatemala

COMPETENCIA DEL MERCADO AMENAZA LA RADIO COMUNITARIA

Honduras

REÇOIT DES MENACES À LA SUITE D'UN RAPPORT SUR LA LIBERTÉ D'EXPRESSION

Guatemala

LES LOIS DU MARCHÉ MENACENT LA RADIO COMMUNAUTAIRE

Canada

EXIGE UNE ENQUÊTE PARLEMENTAIRE SUR LA CONCENTRATION DE LA PROPRIÉTÉ DES MÉDIAS

Canada

FPJQ DEMANDS INQUIRY INTO MEDIA CONCENTRATION

The Quebec Federation of Professional Journalists (FPJQ) is calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the effects of media concentration in Canada, saying the recent policies of CanWest Global Communications Corp (CanWest) represent a "disturbing pattern of censorship and repression of dissenting views." FPJQ, in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), has sent a letter to all members of parliament and senators, stating "With concentration of media ownership in Canada at an unprecedented level, safeguards are needed to ensure diversity of opinion in Canada's news."

Guatemala

MARKET COMPETITION THREATENS COMMUNITY RADIO

The Guatemalan government has announced plans to reopen a public auction for the granting of 14 radio broadcasting frequencies, despite recommendations by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) that the government guarantee equal opportunity and access to all social sectors, report the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) and CERIGUA (Centre of Informative Reports on Guatemala). AMARC says allowing public bidding on frequencies, whereby the highest bidder wins, excludes sectors of the population who are unable to compete on an equal economic footing.

Colombia

OTROS DOS PERIODISTAS ASESINADOS

Colombia

ENCORE DEUX JOURNALISTES ASSASSINÉS

Colombia

TWO MORE JOURNALISTS MURDERED

The ongoing violence in Colombia has claimed the lives of two more journalists in the past 10 days. On 23 January, Marco Antonio Ayala Cárdenas, a photographer for the daily "El Caleño", was gunned down outside the newspaper's offices by two individuals who were riding a motorcycle, say Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS) and Reporters sans frontières (RSF). IPYS says six shots were fired at Ayala Cárdenas' head. He was brought to a nearby hospital but pronounced dead on arrival.

Colombia

WAN CELEBRARÁ CONFERENCIA DE "MEDIOS EN PELIGRO"

Mexico

EDITOR ASESINADO

Colombia

L?AMJ TIENDRA UNE CONFÉRENCE SUR LE THÈME ?LES MÉDIAS EN DANGER?

Mexico

ASSASSINAT DU DIRECTEUR D?UNE PUBLICATION

Colombia

WAN TO HOST CONFERENCE ON MEDIA IN DANGER

Drawing international attention to Colombia, "the most dangerous country in the world" for journalists, will be the goal of a World Association of Newspapers-organised conference in March on violence against the media. "Media in Danger," co-hosted with the Inter American Press Association and the Colombian newspaper association Andiarios, will be held in Bogota from 21-23 March.

Mexico

EDITOR ASSASSINATED

Félix Fernández Garcia, editor of the magazine "Nueva Opcion", was shot and killed on the night of 18 January in the Mexican border town of Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas, after two individuals sprayed machine-gun fire at him from a passing vehicle, report the National Center for Social Communication (CENCOS) and the International Federation of Journalists' Human Rights Section for Latin America (IFJ/L). Fernández Garcia, accompanied by bodyguards Martín Acosta and Carlos Domínguez, was shot while exiting a restaurant half a block away from the Municipal Palace. Acosta and Dominguez survived the shooting and were taken to a local jail for questioning.

Argentina

LE PARLEMENT EST PRIÉ INSTAMMENT D?ADOPTER UNE LOI DE PROTECTION DES MÉDIAS

Haiti

RSF EXIGE DES SANCTIONS CONTRE CERTAINS RESPONSABLES OFFICIELS

Argentina

INSTAN A PARLAMENTO A APROBAR PROYECTO DE LEY DE PROTECCIÓN A MEDIOS

Haiti

RSF PIDE SANCIONES CONTRA FUNCIONARIOS

Bolivia

IAPA DELEGATION TO FOCUS ATTENTION ON BOLIVIA

Free expression and press freedom will be the focus of attention in Bolivia next week when a high-profile delegation arranged by Inter American Press Association (IAPA) travels to the South American country.

Haiti

RSF CALLS FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST OFFICIALS

Amidst a "tense" situation which has seen over a dozen journalists flee in response to sustained threats, Reporters sans frontières (RSF) is urging the United States Congress and the European Union (EU) to impose sanctions on 24 Haitian officials, including President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The organisation is requesting that visas for traveling in and out of the EU and the United States be denied to the officials, and that their overseas bank accounts be frozen. The call comes in response to the government's moves to block "all inquiries aimed at shedding light on the murders of journalists Jean Dominique and Brignol Lindor", says RSF.

Argentina

PARLIAMENT URGED TO PASS MEDIA PROTECTION BILL

Argentina could become the first country in Latin America to decriminalise press-law violations if a bill before the parliament is approved, reports PERIODISTAS and Reporters sans frontières (RSF). If passed, the bill, originally proposed by PERIODISTAS, would protect journalists from criminal proceedings if an article they wrote or distributed was found to be inaccurate or false. Instead of being tried in criminal courts, cases of press law violations would be subject to civil proceedings, according to RSF.

Peru

JOURNALIST RELEASED AFTER EIGHT YEARS

Authorities in Peru have released Pedro Carranza Ugaz, a journalist who was jailed for over eight years for allegedly collaborating with terrorists, reports the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN (WiPC). Carranza Ugaz, a journalist for Radio Oriental and "El Tarapotino" magazine, was pardoned after the Ministry of Justice's National Human Rights Council reviewed his case.

Colombia

UN JOURNALISTE EST ASSASSINÉ; LA VIOLENCE CONTRE LA PRESSE PREND DE L?AMPLEUR

United States

UNE JOURNALISTE EST RELAXÉE

United States

PERIODISTA LIBERADA DE LA CÁRCEL

Colombia

PERIODISTA ASESINADO; EMPEORA VIOLENCIA CONTRA PRENSA

Colombia

JOURNALIST MURDERED; VIOLENCE AGAINST THE PRESS WORSENS

On 23 December 2001, Alvaro Alonso Escobar, proprietor of the Colombian newspaper "Region", was shot and killed by an unknown assailant in his home in Fundacion, Colombia, report the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). According to FLIP, an unidentified man arrived at Escobar's house in the evening and an argument ensued. Escobar was shot three times, after which the assailant fled on motorcycle. The chief of the Magdalena Police Department, Luis Mesa, told an IAPA source that Escobar's murder "was for personal reasons" and said he was not aware of any threats that had been made against the journalist.

United States

JOURNALIST RELEASED FROM JAIL

Freelance reporter Vanessa Leggett has been released from prison in Texas after more than five months of detention, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA). The reporter was released on 4 January after the federal grand jury overseeing her court case ended its term on 3 January. According to CPJ, Leggett had been in jail since 20 July 2001 after a district court judge found her guilty of contempt of court for refusing to hand over information she had compiled while researching a local high-profile murder case. Leggett had cited the need to protect the confidentiality of her sources in refusing to hand over her information. On 17 August 2001, a United States Court of Appeals upheld the lower court ruling.

Colombia

MISIÓN INVESTIGADORA ENCUENTRA QUE MEDIOS DE DEPARTAMENTOS ESTÁN EN PELIGRO

Paraguay

DESOLADORA PERSPECTIVA PARA LIBERTAD DE PRENSA, DICE SPP

Canada

POLÍTICA EDITORIAL DE CANWEST SUSCITA TEMORES DE CONCENTRACIÓN DE MEDIOS

Paraguay

DES PERSPECTIVES PEU RELUISANTES POUR LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE, DIT LE SPP

Canada

ACCROÎT L?APPRÉHENSION DE LA CONCENTRATION DE LA PROPRIÉTÉ DE LA PRESSE

Paraguay

OUTLOOK BLEAK FOR PRESS FREEDOM, SAYS SPP

The outlook for press freedom in Paraguay continues to be bleak, with many "dangerous storm clouds on the horizon," predicts Sindicato de Periodistas de Paraguay (SPP). The organisation has released its annual report, documenting the state of free expression in Paraguay during 2001.

Canada

CANWEST'S EDITORIAL POLICY RAISES MEDIA CONCENTRATION FEARS

Fears surrounding the effects of increased media concentration on free expression in Canada have surfaced in recent weeks, with the announcement that media giant CanWest Global is demanding that all of its 14 newspapers run the same national editorial each week.

Guatemala

SIP RECHAZA NUEVA LEY DE COLEGIACIÓN OBLIGATORIA

Guatemala

LA SIP REJETTE LA NOUVELLE LOI SUR L?IMMATRICULATION OBLIGATOIRE

Guatemala

IAPA REJECTS NEW MANDATORY LICENSING LAW

A new law requiring mandatory licensing of journalists should be scrapped because it eliminates the constitutional right to freedom of thought, says the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

Colombia

DE VIOLENCIA CONTRA MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIÓN

Colombia

EST SURTOUT IMPUTABLE À UN GROUPE PARAMILITAIRE

Colombia

PARAMILITARY GROUP BLAMED FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST MEDIA

In Colombia, "violent acts against the media are perpetrated primarily by armed groups, and, above all, [by] the paramilitary United Self-Defence of Colombia (AUC)," concludes a report recently issued by the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS) and Reporters sans frontières (RSF).

Canada

RESOLUCIÓN DE FPJQ EXIGE RETIRO DE PROYECTO DE LEY ANTITERRORISMO

Guatemala

CIDH PROMETE EXAMINAR CONDICIONES DE PRENSA

Canada

ADOPTE UNE RÉSOLUTION QUI EXIGE LE RETRAIT DU PROJET DE LOI ANTITERRORISME

Guatemala

L?IACHR PROMET D?EXAMINER LES CONDITIONS D?EXERCICE DE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE

Canada

FPJQ RESOLUTION DEMANDS WITHDRAWAL OF ANTI-TERRORISM BILL

The Fédération professionelle des journalists du Québec (FPJQ) has urged the Canadian government to withdraw its proposed anti-terrorism bill, C-36, citing concerns that the legislation "opens the door to a possible abuse of power and places considerable restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information." At its annual convention on 18 November, the federation's members unanimously adopted a resolution against the bill.

Guatemala

IACHR PROMISES TO EXAMINE PRESS CONDITIONS

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has promised to examine the situation of the press in Guatemala next January and demand that the government of Alfonso Portillo "put an end to the threats, intimidations and assassinations plaguing the press in Guatemala," reports CERIGUA (Centre of Informative Reports on Guatemala). The pledge follows the presentation of a report to IACHR by a delegation of Guatemalan organisations led by Asociacion de Periodistas de Guatemala (APG) and the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC).

Canada

CJFE EXIGE REVISIONES A PROYECTO DE LEY ANTITERRORISMO

Canada

LE CJFE EXIGE DES MODIFICATIONS AU PROJET DE LOI ANTITERRORISME

Canada

BURMESE, TAJIK JOURNALISTS; CJFE DEMANDS REVISIONS TO ANTI-TERRORISM BILL

A spotlight was briefly shone in the dark corners of Burma and Tajikistan two weeks ago when Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) presented its 2001 International Press Freedom Awards in Toronto. At a ceremony hosted on 8 November at the Westin Harbour Castle hotel, an audience of over 600 guests listened to the stories of jailed Burmese journalist Myo Myint Nyein and exiled Tajik editor Dodojon Atovulloev. Both of them have been awarded the prizes for demonstrating a "commitment to freedom of expression" and overcoming "enormous odds to produce the news." [See IFEX "Communiqu%26#233;" #10-43].">http://communique.ifex.org/articles.cfm?system_id=3725">IFEX "Communiqué" #10-43].

Cuba

UNE BIBLIOTHÉCAIRE EST LIBÉRÉE DE MANIÈRE IMPRÉVUE

Cuba

LIBERAN INESPERADAMENTE A BIBLIOTECARIA

Cuba

LIBRARIAN RELEASED UNEXPECTEDLY

The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN (WiPC) has welcomed the release of Julia Cecilia Delgado, director of the independent Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda library in Cuba. Delgado had been imprisoned at Manto Negro prison since 12 December 2000 for "disrespect" after she was arrested along with more than 200 people two days before International Human Rights Day. According to WiPC, Delgado was due to complete her sentence on 8 December, but authorities did not issue an explanation for her early release.

Venezuela

CHÁVEZ "AMORDAZA LA VOZ" DE LOS MEDIOS CRÍTICOS, DICE EL IPI

Venezuela

CHÁVEZ ?ÉTOUFFE LA VOIX? DES MÉDIAS CRITIQUES, DIT LE CPJ

Venezuela

CHÁVEZ "MUZZLES THE VOICE" OF CRITICAL MEDIA, SAYS IPI

In what the International Press Institute (IPI) says is an attempt to "muzzle the voice" of media critical of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, the state-run National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel) is continuing its investigation of private news channel Globovision for reporting "false" news. According to IPI, Globovision issued a correction on 29 September for wrongly reporting that nine taxi drivers were attacked and killed the previous night by criminals. In fact, only one had been killed.

United States

PUBLIENT UN RAPPORT SUR LA COUVERTURE PAR LES MÉDIAS DE LA GUERRE AU TERRORISME

United States

PUBLICAN INFORME SOBRE COBERTURA DE LOS MEDIOS DE LA GUERRA CONTRA EL TERRORISMO

United States

RSF, CPJ, IFJ ISSUE REPORTS ON MEDIA COVERAGE OF WAR ON TERRORISM

US PRESS FREEDOM GROUPS HAVE BEEN MUTED, SAYS RSF

Peru

PERIODISTA LIBERADO DESPUÉS DE OCHO AÑOS Y MEDIO DE CÁRCEL

Peru

UN JOURNALISTE EST LIBÉRÉ APRÈS HUIT ANS ET DEMI DE PRISON

Peru

JOURNALIST FREED AFTER 8 ½ YEAR JAIL TERM

Journalist and professor Antero Gargurevich Oliva was released from prison on 5 October after serving eight and half years, reports the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN (WiPC). Oliva was originally sentenced to 12 years in prison for having alleged links to the Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) guerrilla group. According to WiPC, the only evidence produced in court to prove Oliva's links were a number of Shining Path documents and some Marxist literature given to him by several of his students. Oliva had been doing studies on violence in Peru. According to the National Association of Journalists, Peru, a colleague of Oliva's at the Technical University of Callao fingered him after being subjected to torture by the police.

Costa Rica

CORTE PRESTA AUXILIO EN CASO DE DIFAMACIÓN

Argentina

"GRAN PASO HACIA ATRÁS PARA LIBERTAD DE PRENSA," DICEN PERIODISTAS Y CPJ

Argentina

?LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE SUBIT UN IMPORTANT RECUL?, RAPPORTENT PERIODISTAS ET LE

Costa Rica

LE TRIBUNAL ACCORDE UN SURSIS DANS UN AFFAIRE DE DIFFAMATION

Argentina

"BIG STEP BACKWARD FOR PRESS FREEDOM," SAY PERIODISTAS, CPJ

According to the Argentinean Association for the Protection of Independent Journalism (PERIODISTAS) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), press freedom in Argentina took a major step backward last week when the Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling which penalized weekly news magazine "Noticias" for violation of privacy.

Costa Rica

COURT GRANTS RELIEF IN DEFAMATION CASE

In a landmark ruling, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has intervened in a defamation suit launched against the daily newspaper "La Nacíon" by a former Costa Rican diplomat, granting the newspaper temporary relief in a freedom of expression case, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

United States

PRESSURES QATAR TO REIN IN ARAB NEWS CHANNEL;BRITISH JOURNALIST RELEASED

UNITED STATES PRESSURES QATAR TO REIN IN ARAB NEWS CHANNEL

United States

FBI CRACKS DOWN ON US-BASED ARABIC WEBSITES

According to an article in the "New York Times", an 80-strong terrorism task force from the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided Texas-based InfoCom Corporation, which hosts Arabic websites, although its clients are not uniquely Arabic or Muslim. The raid resulted in a service interruption that affected InfoCom's clients, including Qatar's Al-Jazeera television, which has been called the "Arab CNN," and "Al-Sharq" newspaper, both of which rely on the company's services.

United States

GOBIERNO INFRINGE DERECHOS DE LOS PERIODISTAS A CONFIDENCIALIDAD

Guatemala

PERIODISTA ASESINADO MIENTRAS MISIÓN DE SIP SE REUNE CON FUNCIONARIOS GUBERNAMEN

Guatemala

UN JOURNALISTE EST ASSASSINÉ AU MOMENT OÙ LA MISSION DE LA SIP RENCONTRAIT DES R

United States

LE GOUVERNEMENT EMPIÈTE SUR LE DROIT DES JOURNALISTES À LA CONFIDENTIALITÉ

Guatemala

JOURNALIST MURDERED AS IAPA MISSION MEETS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

Jorge Mynor Alegria, a radio journalist for Guatemala's Radio Amatique station, was murdered near his house in the port city of Puerto Barrios on 5 September 2001, report the Guatemalan Journalists Association (APG) and the International Press Institute (IPI).

United States

GOVERNMENT INFRINGES JOURNALISTS' RIGHTS TO CONFIDENTIALITY

One month after a journalist in Texas was imprisoned for refusing to hand over confidential information, the issue of journalists' rights to protect the confidentiality of their sources received attention from another incident last week.

Chile

: SUPREMA CORTE SE REHÚSA A LEVANTAR PROHIBICIÓN A LIBRO

Ecuador

POLICÍA INVESTIGARÁ ASESINATO DE PERIODISTA DE TV

Chile

LA COUR SUPRÊME REFUSE DE LEVER L'INTERDIT QUI FRAPPE UN LIVRE

Ecuador

LA POLICE ENQUÊTE SUR LE MEURTRE D'UN JOURNALISTE

Chile

SUPREME COURT REFUSES TO LIFT BAN ON BOOK

The Supreme Court has quashed an appeal by journalist Alejandra Matus to have a court-ordered ban on her book, “The Black Book of Chilean Justice”, lifted, writes the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Matus’ book, an investigative exposé about the Chilean judicial system, has been banned for over two years. “The Supreme Court’s August 23 decision certainly casts a shadow over the recent repeal of some of Chile’s most notorious and restrictive press provisions,” said CPJ.

Paraguay

CÁMARA DE DIPUTADOS SUPRIME LEY DE TRANSPARENCIA

Paraguay

LA CHAMBRE DES DÉPUTÉS REJETTE LA LOI SUR LA TRANSPARENCE ADMINISTRATIVE

Paraguay

ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSPARENCY LAW REJECTED BY CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES

The newly-passed Law on Administrative Transparency 1.728 that threatened access to information about public institutions was repealed on 16 August by the Chamber of Deputies, according to the Sindicato de Periodistas del Paraguay (SPP). SPP, as well as several civil society and constitutional analysis organisations, protested the law, believing that it was a way to institutionalise impunity and put a stamp of approval on the path toward corruption and governmental non-transparency. Nevertheless, the document is going back to the Senate for consideration. Previously, the Senate did not support Law 1.728's repeal, but only requested that a few articles be modified. The recommended modifications did not significantly diminish the law's threat to freedom of expression, according to SPP.

Brazil

LA VEILLE DU JOUR OÙ IL DEVAIT TÉMOIGNER DANS UN PROCÈS EN DIFFAMATION

Brazil

PERIODISTA ASESINADO UN DÍA ANTES DE TESTIFICAR EN JUICIO POR DIFAMACIÓN

Brazil

JOURNALIST KILLED A DAY BEFORE TESTIFYING IN DEFAMATION TRIAL

Mário Coelho de Almeida Filho, director of the newspaper "A Verdade" in Magé, 50 km from the city of Rio de Janeiro, was murdered on 16 August, according to Reporters sans frontières (RSF) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). The journalist was shot four times as he was returning to his home in Magé, says RSF, which adds that police believe the killing was the work of a hired assassin.

Bolivia

MIEMBROS DEL EJERCITO IMPLICADOS EN MUERTE DE PERIODISTA DE TELEVISIÓN

Bolivia

DANS LA MORT D?UN JOURNALISTE DE LA TÉLÉVISION

Bolivia

MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES IMPLICATED IN TV JOURNALIST'S DEATH

Juan Carlos Encinas, a reporter with the Bolivian television news programme "Enlance" on Canal 21, was killed on 29 July, according to Reporters sans frontières (RSF). The journalist was covering the conflict between two rival organisations for the control of a mining cooperative, la Cooperativa Multiactiva Catavi Ltda, in El Alto, 19 km from La Paz. Encinas was at the mine when one of the organisations surrounded the site and fired a number of shots. The journalist was wounded in the groin, but could not be evacuated since the attackers refused to allow those injured to leave. He died several hours later. RSF reports that two air force sergeants, Renato Limache Ticona and Humberto Quisbert Limache, are suspected of providing weapons to the attackers. Witnesses reportedly saw the two at the site of the incident. Limache Ticona is also suspected of having shot directly at the journalist.

Guatemala

CONTINÚAN AMENAZAS E INTIMIDACIÓN CONTRA PERIODISTAS

United States

PERIODISTA ENCARCELADA POR REHUSARSE A ENTREGAR NOTAS

Guatemala

MENACES ET MAN?UVRES D?INTIMIDATION INCESSANTES CONTRE LES JOURNALISTES

United States

UNE JOURNALISTE EST EMPRISONNÉE POUR AVOIR REFUSÉ DE REMETTRE SES NOTES

United States

JOURNALIST JAILED FOR REFUSING TO HAND OVER NOTES

Freelance journalist Vanessa Leggett has been jailed for refusing to hand over her research notes to a US federal grand jury, report the International Press Institute (IPI), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Leggett was found in contempt of court by District Court Judge Melinda Harmon and jailed without bail in Houston, Texas on 20 July. She has refused to give prosecutors notes from her investigation into the 1997 murder of socialite Doris Angleton. Under the law, Leggett could remain in custody for up to 18 months, the length of the grand jury's term, if she decides not to hand over the notes or if her appeal is rejected, notes IPI.

Guatemala

THREATS AND INTIMIDATION AGAINST JOURNALISTS CONTINUE

Journalists in Guatemala continue to face threats and, in some cases, actual violence, according to reports from the Press Freedom Committee of the Guatemalan Journalists Association (APG), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters sans frontières (RSF) and the Human Rights Section for Latin America of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Paraguay

NUEVA LEY DE "TRANSPARENCIA" AMENAZA ACCESO A INFORMACIÓN

United States

DE "LA GUERRA DE LAS GALAXIAS" PODRÍAN ENFRENTARSE A SENTENCIAS DE DIEZ AÑOS

United States

PROJET MILITAIRE AMÉRICAIN SERAIENT PASSIBLES DE DIX ANS DE PRISON

Paraguay

LA NOUVELLE LOI SUR LA "TRANSPARENCE" MENACE L?ACCÈS À L?INFORMATION

United States

JOURNALISTS ARRESTED AT "STAR WARS" PROTEST COULD FACE TEN-YEAR SENTENCES

Steve Morgan, a British photographer, and Nick Clyde, an Australian videographer, were arrested on 14 July while covering a protest by 15 Greenpeace activists against American anti-missile tests, according to Reporters sans frontières (RSF). The protestors entered the military's exclusion zone at Vandenberg Air Force base in California and delayed a test of the "Star Wars" missile defence system, says Greenpeace.

Paraguay

NEW "TRANSPARENCY" LAW THREATENS INFORMATION ACCESS

Paraguay's new "administrative transparency" law threatens access to information about public institutions, according to the Paraguay Union of Journalists (SPP) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). The Law on Administrative Transparency No. 1,728 was signed into law by Paraguayan President Luis González Macchi on 16 July. It contains a number of clauses restricting access to official information, including that relating to the conduct and assets of public officials, investigations into allegations of corruption and the awarding of public contracts, according to IAPA. SPP says the new measure "severely impedes the possibility of knowing what is occurring inside the public administration and places an indirect gag on journalists, particularly investigative journalists, because it grants public officials a legal pretext for delaying or refusing to provide documents on the management of their affairs." SPP has presented its concerns about the law to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Organization of American States (OAS) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression.

Nicaragua

CRITICAN POLÍTICA PUBLICITARIA GUBERNAMENTAL

Chile

JUEZ DESEA INTERROGAR A KISSINGER ACERCA DE PERIODISTA "DESAPARECIDO"

Chile

RETOUR AU PAYS D'UNE JOURNALISTE; LA PROJECTION D'UN FILM EST SUSPENDUE; UN JUGE VEUT INTERROGER HENRY KISSINGER

Nicaragua

SÉVÈRE CRITIQUE DE LA POLITIQUE PUBLICITAIRE DU GOUVERNEMENT

Chile

JOURNALIST RETURNS HOME; FILM SCREENING SUSPENDED; JUDGE WANTS TO QUESTION KISSINGER ABOUT "MISSING" JOURNALIST

Journalist Alejandra Matus returned to Chile on 14 July 2001 after more than two years in exile, reports Legal Training for Action (FORJA). "Today is an important day for journalists and for press freedom in Chile," the journalist stated after her arrival.

Nicaragua

PLEDGE TO UPHOLD PRESS FREEDOM; GOVERNMENT ADVERTISING POLICY CRITICISED

The three Nicaraguan presidential candidates for the upcoming November elections have unanimously pledged to uphold press freedom, reports the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). Sandinista Front candidate Daniel Ortega, Enrique Bolaños of the Constitutionalist Liberal Party and the Conservative Party's Noel Vidaurre all signed the Declaration of Chapultepec on press freedom principles at former President Violeta Chamorro's home on 4 July. However, IAPA points out that Nicaragua currently complies with only three of the ten Chapultepec principles. Of particular concern to the organisation are the lack of access to public records, election campaign news blackouts and a new law requiring journalists to belong to a "colegio" (guild) in order to work legally.

Costa Rica

LOCUTOR DE RADIO ASESINADO; PREOCUPACIÓN POR AUTOCENSURA

Colombia

CONTEO DE PERIODISTAS MUERTOS CRECE CON OTROS TRES ASESINATOS

Costa Rica

UN ANIMATEUR DE LA RADIO EST ASSASSINÉ

Colombia

TROIS AUTRES JOURNALISTES SONT TUÉS

Costa Rica

RADIO HOST MURDERED; CONCERN OVER SELF-CENSORSHIP

Radio journalist Parmenio Medina was shot dead on 7 July in Costa Rica, a country where violent attacks against journalists are rare. Medina was returning from recording his radio programme, when he was shot outside his home in Santo Domingo de Heredia, report the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Human Rights Section for Latin America and Reporters sans frontières (RSF). Medina, producer and host of the political satire radio programme "La Patada" (The Kick) broadcast by Radio Monumental in the capital San José, was known for his humorous criticism and exposure of corruption, says IAPA. The organisation adds that the Costa Rican government has condemned the murder and pledged full support for an investigation.

Colombia

JOURNALISTS' DEATH TOLL GROWS WITH THREE MORE MURDERS

Three more Colombian journalists were murdered in the last week, according to reports from the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS), the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) and Reporters sans frontières (RSF).

Cuba

PERIODISTA Y ACTIVISTA LABORAL SENTENCIADO A DOS AÑOS POR ARTÍCULO EN INTERNET

Colombia

ASESINAN A PERIODISTA DE RADIO

Cuba

À DEUX ANS DE PRISON POUR AVOIR FAIT PARAÎTRE UN ARTICLE SUR INTERNET

Colombia

UN REPORTER DE LA RADIO EST ASSASSINÉ

Colombia

RADIO REPORTER KILLED

Radio reporter Pablo Emilio Parra Castañeda has been shot and killed in central Tolima Department, report the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Tolima municipal authorities told IPYS that they found the journalist's body, with two shots to the head, on the side of a road on 27 June.

Cuba

JOURNALIST AND LABOUR ACTIVIST SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS FOR INTERNET ARTICLE

José Orlando González Bridon, a Cuban journalist and labour activist, has been sentenced to two years in jail over an article he wrote for a US-based Internet site, according to Reporters sans frontières (RSF), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of International PEN. González Bridon, who has been detained since 15 December 2000, was found guilty on 12 June of spreading "false information," reports WiPC. An electronics engineer by trade, González Bridon is also the secretary-general of the outlawed Confederation of Cuban Democratic Workers (CTDC), notes CPJ.

North America

ENTOURANT LES NÉGOCIATIONS DE L'ALENA EST CONTESTÉ DEVANT LE TRIBUNAL

Canada

LA POLICE SAISIT DE NOUVEAU LES BANDES FILMÉES D?UNE MANIFESTATION

North America

NAFTA SECRECY CHALLENGED IN COURT

A Canadian coalition has launched a constitutional challenge of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), arguing that its rules violate press freedom guarantees. The Canadian Union of Public Employees and the citizen advocacy group Democracy Watch, represented by the Sierra Legal Defence Fund, maintain that the secrecy of NAFTA's investor-state tribunal process violates freedom of expression and freedom of the press, as guaranteed by Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms. NAFTA's Chapter 11 gives foreign corporations the power to sue governments for infringing on their investments, notes the coalition. Claims, which can cover virtually all aspects of public policy-making, are heard by tribunals behind closed doors.

Canada

POLICE SEIZE PROTEST FOOTAGE AGAIN

In the latest case of police seizure of journalist's footage, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have seized videotapes and other materials belonging to Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) correspondent Todd Lamirande, reports Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE). On 24 June, in Sun Peaks, British Columbia, Lamirande videotaped part of a confrontation between aboriginal people protesting a ski resort development and local supporters of the project. As Lamirande was driving away from the site, the RCMP pulled his car over and seized the vehicle and all its contents, including his TV news camera, videotapes, notes and personal effects. According to the journalist, the only reason that police gave for his detention and the seizure of materials was that "they suspect the videotapes have evidence of a crime on them." The RCMP later released Lamirande and returned his vehicle and personal effects, but they continue to hold onto the video footage. The APTN is seeking a court injunction to prevent use of the videotape.

Canada

POLICÍA VUELVE A DECOMISAR GRABACIÓN DE MANIFESTACIÓN

Panama

UNE PEINE DE SEIZE MOIS DE PRISON INFLIGÉE À UN JOURNALISTE

Panama

SENTENCIA DE CÁRCEL DE DIECISÉIS MESES EN ÚLTIMA ACCIÓN CONTRA PERIODISTAS

Panama

16-MONTH JAIL SENTENCE IN LATEST ACTION AGAINST JOURNALISTS

In the latest of many recent legal actions against Panamanian journalists, Marcelino Rodríguez was sentenced on 23 May to sixteen months in prison for "slander and damages," exchangeable for a fine of US$1,000, according to Reporters sans frontières (RSF). The legal action against Rodríguez, formerly with the daily "El Siglo", was initiated by Alma Montenegro de Fletcher, attorney for the state, says RSF. In August 1998, the journalist incorrectly reported that Montenegro owned a property in the Panama Canal region, previously under American control. The journalist published a clarification, explaining that the authorities who oversee the region had refused to confirm or deny the information. Montenegro felt that her honour had come under attack because of these reports, says RSF.

Colombia

CUARTO PERIODISTA ASESINADO EN LAS ÚLTIMAS TRES SEMANAS; OTROS AMENAZADOS

Colombia

UN QUATRIÈME JOURNALISTE EST ASSASSINÉ EN TROIS SEMAINES; D?AUTRES SONT MENACÉS

Colombia

FOURTH JOURNALIST KILLED IN LAST THREE WEEKS; OTHERS THREATENED

The body of radio journalist Edgar Tavera Gaona was found on 18 May in San Lorenzo in the municipality of Güepsa (Santander), reports the Human Rights section for Latin America of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The National Police say the journalist was reportedly killed by members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) as a result of his recent articles on the guerilla group's actions in the region. The 38 year-old journalist worked for a community radio station in Güepsa, notes IFJ. Gaona is the fourth journalist killed in Colombia since 27 April [See IFEX "Communique" #10-18 and #10-17.]">http://communique.ifex.org/articles.cfm?category=1%20Regional%20News&volume=10&issue_no=18&lng=english#3106">"Communique" #10-18 and #10-17.]

Colombia

SEMANARIO IZQUIERDISTA ES BLANCO DE OTRO ATAQUE; DESACTIVAN COCHE BOMBA

Colombia

UN HEBDOMADAIRE DE GAUCHE EST DE NOUVEAU CIBLÉ; UNE VOITURE PIÉGÉE EST DÉSAMORCÉ

Colombia

LEFTIST WEEKLY TARGETED AGAIN; CAR BOMB DEFUSED

Police defused a car bomb outside the office of the Communist Party newspaper "Voz" in Bogota on 21 May, report the Institute for Press and Society, the Human Rights section for Latin America of the International Federation of Journalists, Reporters sans frontières, and the Committee to Protect Journalists. The four organisations say that the 250-kilogram "cluster" bomb was packed into a pick-up truck in downtown Bogota. Carlos Lozano, editor of "Voz", blames the bomb plot on unspecified paramilitary groups, says CPJ. Last month, Lozano was named to a four-person commission set up to monitor official efforts to curb paramilitary attacks around the country. This particular cluster bomb is commercially manufactured in the United States to American military specifications and sold throughout the world, reports CPJ.

Chile

REVOCAN ESTATUTO USADO CONTRA MATUS

Chile

ABOLITION DE LA LOI QUI AVAIT ÉTÉ UTILISÉE CONTRE LA JOURNALISTE MATUS

Chile

STATUTE USED AGAINST MATUS REPEALED

A new press law, approved by the Chilean Senate on 18 April, repeals several provisions of the country's State Security Law, including one (Article 6b) that makes it a crime against public order to insult high officials, report Legal Training for Action (FORJA), the Argentinian Association for the Defence of Independent Journalism (PERIODISTAS) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Colombia

DEUX AUTRES JOURNALISTES SONT ASSASSINÉS

Colombia

OTROS DOS PERIODISTAS ASESINADOS

Colombia

TWO MORE JOURNALISTS KILLED

Two more journalists have been killed in Colombia, bringing the total number of killings to three in a single week. Carlos Alberto Trespalacios, communications director for the Medellín Municipality Sports and Recreation Institute, was assassinated on 30 April in Medellín, reports the Human Rights section for Latin America of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). Meanwhile, Yesid Marulanda Romero, a 31 year-old journalist with Notípacifico TV News, was murdered on 3 May, World Press Freedom Day, according to IFJ and the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS). Marulanda, a sports commentator, was shot by three armed men in Cali, says IPYS.

United States

REVELAN LAS 25 PRINCIPALES HISTORIAS CENSURADAS DE 2000

Peru

INDULTAN A PERIODISTA Y LO LIBERAN DESPUÉS DE NUEVE AÑOS DE CÁRCEL

United States

LES 25 PRINCIPAUX SUJETS CENSURÉS EN 2000 SONT DÉVOILÉS

Peru

UN JOURNALISTE REÇOIT UN PARDON ET EST LIBÉRÉ APRÈS NEUF ANS DE PRISON

United States

TOP 25 CENSORED STORIES OF 2000 REVEALED

For the twenty-fifth year, Project Censored, a US-based media watchdog, has released its list of the "top 25 censored media stories for 2000." The controversial list covers important stories that, according to Project Censored, go unreported or under-reported by the mainstream media in the United States. Alongside it, the organisation has issued its annual report on the "Junk Food News" served to the public in the place of more substantive reporting.

Peru

JOURNALIST PARDONED AND RELEASED AFTER NINE YEARS IN PRISON

Nearly nine years after being arrested on charges of "terrorism," journalist Hermes Rivera Guerrero has been pardoned and released, report the Human Rights section for Latin America of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS) and the Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN (WiPC). Rivera, who had always maintained his innocence, was pardoned on 11 April and released from Picsi prison five days later, reports WiPC. He had been in jail since 8 May 1992, serving a twenty year sentence, adds IFJ.

United States

CONTROVERSIA POR DIFAMACIÓN CRIMINAL EN KANSAS

United States

À PROPOS DE POURSUITES EN DIFFAMATION PÉNALE

United States

CRIMINAL DEFAMATION CONTROVERSY IN KANSAS

Two journalists are facing criminal defamation charges in the state of Kansas, reports the International Press Institute (IPI), in contradiction with international principles stating that defamation should be dealt with using civil rather than criminal law. David Carson and Edward H. Powers Jr, publisher and editor of "The New Observer", respectively, will appear in court on 10 April to face ten misdemeanour charges for criminal defamation, says IPI. They could face a fine of up to US$ 2,500 and one year in prison. Eight of the charges are based on statements in "The New Observer" that Carol Marinovich, the mayor of Wyandotte County's Unified Government, and her husband, a District Court judge, do not live in the county and therefore cannot hold public office in it. In the past, the newspaper has criticised both Marinovich and Wyandotte County District Attorney Nick Tomasic, who filed the charges. Tomasic denies that his decision is politically motivated, claiming that he filed charges because the allegations made by Powers and Carson were "false and malicious".

Mexico

UN AUTRE JOURNALISTE TUÉ PRÈS DE LA FRONTIÈRE AMÉRICAINE

Mexico

MÉXICO: OTRO PERIODISTA ASESINADO CERCA DE FRONTERA CON ESTADOS UNIDOS

Mexico

MEXICO: ANOTHER JOURNALIST KILLED NEAR U.S. BORDER

Saúl Antonio Martínez Gutiérrez, deputy editor of the daily "El Imparcial" published in Matamoros, was found dead on 24 March, according to Reporters sans frontières (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Martínez Gutiérrez was found by police between the towns of Matamoros and Río Bravo, near the border with Texas, with four 9mm bullets in the head, says RSF. Bruises on his body suggest that he had been tortured, adds CPJ. The journalist disappeared the evening before, while he was investigating Ignacio Coronel, a narcotics trafficker in the region, says RSF.

Chile

AVANCES FRUSTRADOS EN LIBERTAD DE EXPRESIÓN, DICE HRW

Chile

LE PROGRÈS DE LA LIBERTÉ D?EXPRESSION EST BLOQUÉ, DIT HRW

Chile

PROGRESS ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION STALLED, SAYS HRW

Despite progress in prosecuting the abuses of Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship, Chile's record on freedom of expression has improved little since the end of military rule more than a decade ago, says Human Rights Watch (HRW). In a new report, entitled "Progress Stalled: Setbacks in Freedom of Expression Reform in Chile", HRW calls for a repeal of the State Security Law provisions that criminalise speech and for other much-needed free expression reforms.

Cuba

UN JOURNALISTE EST REMIS EN LIBERTÉ; UN AUTRE EST TOUJOURS INCARCÉRÉ

Cuba

OTRO PERIODISTA LIBERADO, UNO SIGUE EN LA CÁRCEL

Cuba

ANOTHER JOURNALIST RELEASED, ONE STILL IN JAIL

Manuel Antonio González Castellanos, a correspondent for the independent press agency Cuba Press in the eastern city of Holguín, was released on 26 February, according to Reporters sans frontières (RSF). The journalist, who spent two-and-a-half years in prison for "insulting" Fidel Castro, says that he will continue his work as an independent journalist. González is the second independent journalist released from a Cuban prison in the last two months. On 17 January, Jésus Joel Díaz Hernández was freed after serving two years of a four-year term for being a "danger to society" [See IFEX "Communique" #10-3].">http://communique.ifex.org/articles.cfm?category=1%20Regional%20News&volume=10&issue_no=3%26amp;lng=english#2717">IFEX "Communique" #10-3].

Mexico

EN ESTADO FRONTERIZO, NUEVO PRESIDENTE SE COMPROMETE A NO REGULAR PRENSA

Mexico

LE NOUVEAU PRÉSIDENT S?ENGAGE À NE PAS RÉGLEMENTER LA PRESSE

Mexico

JOURNALIST KILLED IN BORDER STATE, NEW PRESIDENT PLEDGES NOT TO REGULATE PRESS

José Luis Ortega Mata, publication director for the weekly "Semanario de Ojinaga", was shot twice in the head and killed by two assassins on 19 February, according to Reporters sans frontières (RSF). The weekly is circulated in the northern region of Chihuahua state and on the other side of the U.S. border, in the cities of Odessa and Milan in Texas. On 15 February, the journalist published information on drug trafficking in the region, reports RSF. "Northern Mexican states, bordering on the United States, are a particularly dangerous region for journalists," says RSF. At least two other journalists have been killed for their work in Chihuahua state since 1991.

Guatemala

PERIÓDICO ATACADO DESPUÉS DE INFORMES ACERCA DE CORRUPCIÓN EN GOBIERNO

Guatemala

APRÈS LA PUBLICATION DE REPORTAGES SUR LA CORRUPTION AU SEIN DU GOUVERNEMENT

Guatemala

NEWSPAPER UNDER ATTACK AFTER REPORTS ON GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION

The Guatemala City daily "elPeriodico" has been subjected to an angry mob attack on its offices, along with a radio and TV campaign against it, in the wake of its coverage of high-level government corruption, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Press Institute (IPI), and Reporters sans frontières (RSF).

Venezuela

PRESIDENTE DE LA REPÚBLICA VUELVE A AGREDIR VERBALMENTE A PERIODISTAS

Canada

CONCENTRACIÓN DE MEDIOS AMENAZA PLURALISMO DE PRENSA, DICE FPJQ

Venezuela

LE PRÉSIDENT S?EN PREND DE NOUVEAU AUX MÉDIAS VERBALEMENT

Canada

LA CONCENTRATION DES MÉDIAS MENACE LE PLURALISME DE LA PRESSE, DIT LA FPJQ

Canada

MEDIA CONCENTRATION THREATENS PRESS PLURALISM, SAYS FPJQ

The dangers of the growing concentration of media ownership are the theme of the February 2001 issue of "Le 30", a publication of the Fédération professionelle des journalistes du Québec (FPJQ). The media in Quebec, as in the rest of Canada, have recently experienced a wave of mergers linking newspapers, cable services, TV networks, and internet sites. "Le 30" asks whether the press barons' desires for "synergies" and "convergence" are compatible with journalistic objectives of diversity and quality of information. At issue is whether there is a conflict between free enterprise and free expression, and whether news has become just another commodity?

Venezuela

PRESIDENT VERBALLY ATTACKS MEDIA AGAIN

President Hugo Chávez Frías denounced journalists during events celebrating the ninth anniversary of the coup-d'etat carried out by middle-ranking military officers in February 1992, according to the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS). "Down with journalists and capitalism," proclaimed the president, who also urged those present to "yell orders" at any journalist they see on the street. The incident is one of a long list of presidential attacks and intimidations against the media, says IPYS.

Brazil

RSF DENUNCIA "CULTURA DE IMPUNIDAD" EN EL ESTADO DE BAHÍA

Brazil

RSF DÉNONCE LA "CULTURE DE L'IMPUNITÉ" QUI RÈGNE DANS L'ÉTAT DE BAHIA

Brazil

RSF DENOUNCES "CULTURE OF IMPUNITY" IN STATE OF BAHIA

A "cultural of impunity" reigns in the Brazilian state of Bahia, where ten journalists were killed during the "dark decade" of the 1990s, says Reporters sans frontières (RSF). The majority of these acts were linked to journalists' revelations of corruption, drug trafficking, or murders involving political figures or the police. In none of the ten cases have those responsible been brought to justice. RSF adds that the subject remains a sensitive one. In April 2000, the newspaper "A Tarde", based in Bahia's capital Salvador, published a report on the ten assassinations. The journalist conducting the investigation, Marconi de Souza, received death threats on several occasions. While there has yet to be a trial in these ten cases, the justice system did re-open three cases following the revelations in "A Tarde".

Cuba

PERIODISTA INDEPENDIENTE LIBERADO DESPUÉS DE DOS AÑOS EN CÁRCEL

Cuba

UN JOURNALISTE INDÉPENDANT EST REMIS EN LIBERTÉ APRÈS AVOIR PASSÉ DEUX ANS EN PR

Cuba

INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST RELEASED AFTER TWO YEARS IN JAIL

Nicaragua

UNE NOUVELLE LOI MENACE LA LIBERTÉ DES JOURNALISTES

Nicaragua

NEW LAW THREATENS JOURNALISTS' FREEDOM

Chile

SIP BUSCA REVOCACIÓN DE LEYES DE INJURIA

Chile

LA SIP TENTE D?OBTENIR L?ABOLITION DES LOIS SUR LES INSULTES

Chile

MATUS' CONVICTION UPHELD, IAPA SEEKS REPEAL OF INSULT LAWS

A Chilean court has upheld journalist Alejandra Matus' conviction on contempt charges, according to the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). In a letter to President Ricardo Lagos, IAPA reiterates its calls for the country to repeal its insult laws, which state that contempt ("desacato") is a criminal offence. Matus is the author of the banned book "El Libro Negro de la Justicia Chilena" (The Black Book of Chilean Justice), which denounced the judiciary's corruption, nepotism, and abuses of power. She is now living in exile in Miami, Florida. On 19 December, a Chilean judge temporarily halted legal proceedings in the case, thus upholding an order for Matus' arrest issued in November. According to IAPA, with no further recourse to appeal, she may not return to her homeland until a statute of limitations expires in 13 years' time.

Colombia

DE LA MISMA ESTACIÓN, AUC VINCULADAS AL ASESINATO DE GARZÓN

Colombia

DEUX JOURNALISTES D?UNE MÊME STATION SONT ASSASSINÉS; LES AUC SONT RELIÉES AU ME

Colombia

TWO JOURNALISTS FROM SAME STATION MURDERED, AUC LINKED TO GARZÓN?S MURDER

On 13 December, Alfredo Abad Lopez, director of the radio station Voz de la Selva (Voice of the Jungle) in the southern city of Florencia, was shot and killed, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and Reporters sans frontières (RSF). Abad was shot at point-blank range by two men on a motorcycle, state the reports. While the motive for the assassination and the identity of the attackers remain unclear, CPJ reports that a confidential source familiar with Florencia's militant groups said Abad appeared to have been murdered by paramilitary gunmen after he began investigating the recent death of one of his colleagues.

Peru

D?UN JOURNALISTE EST CONSIDÉRÉ COMME UNE VICTOIRE DE LA LIBERTÉ D?EXPRESSION

Peru

RETORNO DE PERIODISTA EXILIADO SE VE COMO VICTORIA DE LIBRE EXPRESIÓN

Peru

EXILED JOURNALIST'S RETURN SEEN AS FREE EXPRESSION VICTORY

The return of media tycoon Baruch Ivcher to Peru from exile "marks the end of a notorious human rights case and highlights the sea of change in Peru's political climate since the collapse of the old order last month," reports the "Financial Times". Ivcher's Peruvian citizenship was renounced and his television station, Frecuencia Latina, closed in 1997 for "criticising the government," says the "Financial Times". Prior to this, Ivcher had "exposed cases of murder, torture and phone-tapping allegedly carried out by the secret services under Vladimiro Montesinos, the former spy chief." Stripped of his citizenship, he was unable to own a TV station and was offered $19 million by government authorities if he would let them "set" the station's "news agenda." He also had a warrant out for his arrest for allegedly evading taxes. An emergency court, however, recently annulled these arrest warrants, enabling for Ivcher to return without threat.

Colombia

LES PARAMILITAIRES SONT IMPLIQUÉS DANS DES MEURTRES DE JOURNALISTES

Colombia

PARAMILITARES IMPLICADOS EN ASESINATOS DE PERIODISTAS

Colombia

PARAMILITARIES IMPLICATED IN JOURNALISTS' MURDERS

On 15 November, radio correspondent Gustavo Rafael Ruiz Cantillo was shot by two men in Pivijay, northern Colombia, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and Reporters sans frontières (RSF). While police state that they are still investigating the identity of the attackers, the journalist's former colleagues at Radio Galeon allege that Ruiz was killed by members of a right-wing paramilitary group that operates in the region. The sources add that the group is "not linked to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), a nationwide alliance of right-wing groups, but was rather a gang of hired gunmen financed by the rich people in the area." Ruiz, who received threats by the armed group twice, was warned by them to "stop reporting bad news about Pivijay and to give up that big mouth's job." IAPA states that while it is gravely concerned with the situation of violence in Colombia in general, its concern is even greater in the case of a murdered journalist because such an act silences the right and ability of citizens to be informed.

United States

CRITIQUENT VERTEMENT LES INEXACTITUDES DES MÉDIAS

United States

ATACA VIOLENTAMENTE A MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIÓN POR IMPRECISIONES

United States

WATCHDOGS SLAM MEDIA FOR INACCURACIES

The United States media's "rushed and faulty projections for election results were dramatic manifestations of the kind of intrinsically flawed coverage of politics" and elections in the country, states Norman Solomon in the electronic bulletin "AlterNet" of 8 November. In his article, "TV Networks Compound the Voting Crisis", Solomon argues that the US media has played more than an observer role in national politics. In fact, he states that journalists "shape the media terrain through which politicians walk." Solomon observes that the independence of journalists institutions is challenged by the fact that they are often financed "by many of the same business interests" that finance political parties. Solomon charges that the media companies' rush to give election results appeared to be more motivated by competition and profit than to provide accuracy in reporting.

Colombia

PRESENTAN PROGRAMA DE PROTECCIÓN A PERIODISTA

Colombia

LANCEMENT D?UN PROGRAMME DE PROTECTION DES JOURNALISTES

Colombia

JOURNALIST PROTECTION PROGRAMME INTRODUCED

While the Colombian government has taken some recent steps towards greater freedom of expression in Colombia, it fails to take action on a number of cases of attacks against journalists, says the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). On 18 August, under Decree 1592, the Colombian government announced its establishment of a journalist protection programme. The Program for the Protection of Journalists and Social Communicators aims to protect the rights of Colombians to be informed truthfully by addressing the threats that face both journalists and organisations that protect journalists, reports the International Journalists Network (IJNet). Additionally, in a 28 June letter addressed to CPJ, President Pastrana emphasised his commitment "to strengthen the actions [the government] has taken in defense of freedom of expression."

Cuba

L?ÉTAT CONSERVE SA MAINMISE SUR LES MÉDIAS, SOUTIENT UN RAPPORT DE RSF

Cuba

ESTADO RETIENE CONTROL DE MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIÓN, DICE INFORME DE RSF

Cuba

STATE RETAINS CONTROL OF MEDIA, SAYS RSF REPORT

"State control of published or broadcast information has not slackened" in Cuba, says a recently-released Reporters sans frontières (RSF) report on the state of press freedom in Cuba. While there was "relative respite from harassment" of government opponents after the Pope's visit in January 1998, RSF states that this did not last more than a year. The "main targets of repression" are about 100 independent journalists, who authorities consider to be "counter-revolutionaries," says RSF. According to RSF, these journalists have faced "accusations, attacks, seizure of equipment, house arrests, pressure on their families, friends or contacts, and attempts to discredit or divide them." Since 1997, five of these journalists have received sentences of between six months and six years in prison, and over one hundred arrests or interrogations have been reported, records RSF. Three journalists remain in jail at present.

Mexico

EL PRI RETIENE CONTROL DE LOS MEDIOS

Mexico

LE PRI PRÉSERVE SON CONTRÔLE SUR LES MÉDIAS

Mexico

PRI RETAINS CONTROL OVER MEDIA

The Mexican media continues to face "unofficial censorship" from the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) despite the recent win of Vincente Fox, of the National Action Party (PAN) in the presidential elections in July, writes Federico Campbell Pena in an article published by "Index on Censorship". Although PAN's victory has ended 70 years of PRI's presidential power, it is insufficient to breaking the party's stranglehold on the media, says Campbell. "Years of corruption in Mexican politics have severely challenged the independence of the country's media," and "true press freedom will remain a chimera in Mexico for the foreseeable future."

Paraguay

VIOLENCIA LUEGO DE PROCESO ELECTORAL

Paraguay

LES ÉLECTIONS SONT ENTACHÉES DE VIOLENCE

Paraguay

ELECTIONS MET WITH VIOLENCE

The Sindicato de Periodistas del Paraguay (SPP) warns that Paraguayans may again be facing "the danger of increased political violence and a risk of losing fundamental freedoms and rights," as they did under the Stroessner dictatorship and under General Oviedo. A surge of press freedom violations and violence in the wake of the 13 August vice-presidential elections signal "a renewed deterioration of the national climate," says SPP. A number of journalists and media outlets have reported intimidation, threats and censorship during the electoral process. Incomplete counts by the country's electoral commission indicate that the opposition candidate Julio César Franco has won the election, says SPP.

Mexico

CONTINÚAN LAS VIOLACIONES A LA LIBRE EXPRESIÓN, DICE INFORME DE CENCOS

Mexico

LES VIOLATIONS DE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE SE POURSUIVENT, DIT CENCOS

Mexico

FREE EXPRESSION VIOLATIONS CONTINUE, SAYS CENCOS REPORT

Despite the fact that in the last five years, the fight for free expression has become stronger, paradoxically or perhaps consequently, the large number of attacks and restrictions placed on the media continues to threaten the journalistic profession, says the Centro Nacional de Comunicacion Social (CENCOS) in its review of press freedom in Mexico in 1999. Over the course of 1999, there were 135 registered cases of attacks on media and journalists, a 33 per cent decrease from the 202 cases in 1998 and a 28 per cent decrease from the 187 cases documented in 1997. The decrease in the number of attacks, however, does not necessarily mean that free expression has improved, states CENCOS, noting that the figures were lower in 1995 and 1996 than in 1999.

Dominican Republic

FALLO DE TRIBUNAL ES UN GOLPE A IMPUNIDAD

Dominican Republic

UNE DÉCISION DU TRIBUNAL PORTE UN DUR COUP À L?IMPUNITÉ

Dominican Republic

COURT RULING A BLOW TO IMPUNITY

The murderers of Dominican Republic editor Orlando Martínez were sentenced to 30 years in prison last week, marking a blow to impunity in the region, states the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). Martínez, editor of "Ahora", was ambushed and shot in March 1975. Martínez was a strong critic of the government, and the case remained open for years due to the local press' insistence that "no matter how long it takes, those responsible should not be allowed to literally get away with murder." The four Dominican army officers and/or members of paramilitary groups who were charged and sentenced have lodged an appeal to the ruling, says IAPA.

Peru

DES JOURNALISTES ET DES MANIFESTANTS SONT BLESSÉS

Peru

MEDIA COVERAGE OF PROTESTS RESTRICTED, JOURNALISTS AND DEMONSTRATORS INJURED

A number of demonstrators protesting the swearing-in of President Alberto Fujimori, as well as local and foreign journalists covering the event, were injured in a clash between protesters and police on 28 July, report the Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The journalists also had some equipment seized by police, says IFJ. The protests were organised by opposition leader Alejandro Toledo to contest the controversial May elections which saw President Alberto Fujimori elected to a third term in office. Toledo boycotted the May 28 election and has accused Fujimori of electoral fraud. It is estimated that around 80,000 demonstrators attended the protests.

Canada

CUESTIONAN DECOMISO QUE POLICÍA HIZO DE SUS MATERIALES

Panama

LEYES MORDAZA SIGUEN EN VIGOR A PESAR DE PROMESA DE REFORMA

Canada

DES GROUPES DE PRESSE CONTESTENT LA SAISIE DE LEUR MATÉRIEL PAR LA POLICE

Panama

LES LOIS DE CENSURE DEMEURENT, MALGRÉ LES PROMESSES DE RÉFORME

Canada

MEDIA GROUPS CHALLENGE POLICE SEIZURE OF THEIR MATERIALS

Seven of Canada's national and regional media organisations are legally challenging the Toronto police's recent seizure of the media outlets' film and videotapes on the basis of media freedom and independence, reports the "The Toronto Star". Subsequent to a 15 June demonstration in front of the provincial legislature which saw violent clashes between police and protesters, the police served 14 search warrants to media outlets which enabled them to seize the outlets' footage of the event. The demonstration was organised to protest the provincial government's response to homelessness, with protesters stating that some of the government's social policies have led directly to a homelessness crisis in the province.

Panama

GAG LAWS REMAIN DESPITE PROMISE OF REFORM

The Panamanian government has failed to reform its gag laws and is continuing to use these laws against journalists, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the World Association of Newspapers (WAN). Within in the last two weeks, two local journalists were sentenced to prison for "defaming public officials," says CPJ. The laws contain a wide range of articles concerning defamation and censorship. Under Article 386 of Panama's judicial code, the attorney general is granted with the "summary power to jail anyone who offends him for up to eight days" and those charged under this statute are denied the right to defend themselves.

Peru

PERIODISTA RADIOFÓNICO ASESINADO

Colombia

PERIODISTA DE TELEVISIÓN ASESINADA

Peru

ASSASSINAT D?UN JOURNALISTE DE LA RADIO

Colombia

UNE JOURNALISTE DE LA TÉLÉVISION EST ASSASSINÉE

Colombia

TELEVISION JOURNALIST MURDERED

Journalist Marisol Revelo Baron was assassinated on 4 July on the doorstep of her home in Tumaco, in the southwestern department of Nariño, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Press Institute (IPI) and the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA). Local sources say that on the evening of 4 July, two gunmen on a motorcycle stopped in front of Revelo's house. When Revelo came to the door, the attacker fired five shots, killing her instantly.

Peru

RADIO JOURNALIST KILLED

Journalist Luis Baltazar Caviedes Nuñez de la Torre was killed in suspicious circumstances, according to a press release from the National Association of Peruvian Journalists (ANP) distributed by the Human Rights section for Latin America of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The journalist was found unconscious on 2 July on the banks of the Chuyapi river, suffering from bruises and injuries to the right side of his head and right eye, and was taken to the Quillabamba hospital by the police. He was the founder of ANP's Quillabamba branch in Cuzco and worked for the Sur Oriente and Frecuencia Integral radio stations.

Peru

PERIODISTAS Y MANIFESTAN LESIONADOS

Guatemala

LE CERIGUA REÇOIT DES MENACES DE MORT

Guatemala

AMENAZAN DE MUERTE A PERSONAL DE CERIGUA

Guatemala

CERIGUA RECEIVES DEATH THREATS

On 23 June, workers at the headquarters of the Centro de Reportes Informativos sobre Guatemala (Cerigua) received telephone death threats, according to information obtained by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE). At approximately 1:50 pm, a female voice warned one of the reporters that "we know where you are and we're going to kill you."

Paraguay

ESTADO DE EMERGENCIA NO DEBERÁ LIMITAR LIBERTAD DE PRENSA

Colombia

PERIODISTAS SE ENFRENTAN A ASESINATO, EXILIO Y AMENAZAS CONSTANTES

Paraguay

L?ÉTAT D?URGENCE NE DEVRAIT PAS ENTRAVER LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE

Colombia

À L?EXIL ET À D?AUTRES MENACES CONSTANTES

Paraguay

STATE OF EMERGENCY SHOULD NOT LIMIT PRESS FREEDOM

The State of Emergency declared 19 May in the wake of an attempted coup by former General Lino Oviedo should not limit freedom of expression in any way, urge the Sindicato de Periodistas del Paraguay (SPP) and Reporters sans frontières (RSF). While SPP condemns the recently attempted coup, it firmly maintains that "neither such risks nor any other reason of force can justify restricting freedom of expression." Following the emergency declaration, 2 radio stations were closed and 3 media workers were arrested, reports RSF. Some of the media workers that were targeted were accused of being Oviedo supporters. Regardless of political affiliation or ethical journalistic practices, however, SPP maintains "that there are no common press felonies - except those which are committed against the press - and that no one can be convicted for their opinions or restricted in the exercise of free expression."

Colombia

JOURNALISTS FACE MURDER, EXILE AND ONGOING THREATS

Attacks on journalists continue to intensify in Colombia and international journalist associations should "create a permanent observatory to monitor press freedom violations" in the country, urged exiled Colombian journalist Francisco Santos Calderon at the opening ceremonies of the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) Annual Meetings in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With seven journalists killed last year and four journalists already murdered in the year 2000 in Colombia, "Colombia needs this solidarity and action.... before it is too late," said Santos. A peace activist and editor of "El Tiempo", Santos went into exile earlier this year after learning of a plot to murder him, reports WAN. An international observatory to monitor violations against the media will be effective because "those who attack journalists are sensitive to international repercussions from their actions," noted Santos. The observatory would have a permanent office in Colombia and would investigate each violation, asserted Santos.

Canada

ROCIADOS CON PIMIENTA EN REUNIÓN DE OEA

Canada

DES TRAVAILLEURS DES MÉDIAS ET DES MANIFESTANTS SONT ARROSÉS DE POIVRE

Canada

MEDIA WORKERS, PROTESTERS PEPPER SPRAYED AT OAS MEETING

While the Organisation of American States (OAS) General Assembly in Windsor, Canada, was met with largely peaceful demonstrations, seven accredited photographers covering the event and many protesters were doused with pepper spray by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), reports Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE). The Assembly took place from 4-6 June. Among other things, protesters demonstrated against the intergovernmental body's failure to prioritise the social, cultural and economic rights of peoples in its promotion of free trade throughout the region. One of the photographers reports that the presence of hundreds of RCMP in riot gear patrolling the area was "intimidating," and that protesters were pepper sprayed without any warning. "I think they just didn't want us to take more photos," said the freelance photographer. This tactic infringed upon the right to peaceful protest as well as upon journalists' right to cover the event, says CJFE.

Peru

UNE ENTREPRISE DE PRESSE DOIT AFFRONTER DES AGRESSIONS

Peru

MEDIOS SE ENFRENTAN A ATAQUES EN PROCESO ELECTORAL VICIADO

Peru

MEDIA FACES ATTACKS IN MARRED ELECTORAL PROCESS

The media in Peru were under attack during the recent run-off elections in Peru, which were widely condemned as unfair. On 24 May, journalist Fabián Salazar Olivares of "La República" was held and tortured by alleged agents of the National Intelligence Service (Servicio de Inteligencia Nacional, SIN) for possessing a number of documents and videotapes which implicate and jeopardise a number of high-ranking government and electoral officials, report the Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Reporters sans frontières (RSF). Salazar was tortured when he refused to disclose from whom he had obtained the information, says IPYS.

Guatemala

RELATOR ESPECIAL DE OEA EVALÚA ESTADO DE LIBERTAD DE PRENSA

Guatemala

ÉVALUE LA SITUATION DE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE

Guatemala

OAS SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ASSESSES STATE OF PRESS FREEDOM

While democratic advances have significantly contributed to the advance of free expression in Guatemala, the possible existence of a media monopoly of the country's television stations should be investigated, said Organisation of American States (OAS) Special Rapporteur for Free Expression Santiago Canton. Canton was on a special visit to Guatemala at President Alfonso Portillo's invitation to investigate the state of free expression in the country, reports the Press Freedom Committee of the Guatemalan Association of Journalists (APG). According to APG, the president extended the invitation to demonstrate that the government was not responsible for the recent closure of a television program on Canal 13 on 2 February.

Peru

MEDIOS PENALIZADOS EN VIRTUD DE LEY ELECTORAL

Peru

LA LOI ÉLECTORALE PÉNALISE LES MÉDIAS

Peru

MEDIA PENALISED UNDER ELECTORAL LAW

The National Elections Board will impose a fine of approximately US$84,000 on the independent television station, Canal N, for its "inadvertent" broadcasting of the election polls on 5 April, report the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). According to IPYS, the Board alleges that the station violated Article 191 of Peruvian electoral law which "prohibits media from disseminating information about voter preferences" less than 15 days before the election. The elections took place on 9 April. Not only is this fine outrageous, says CPJ, but Article 191 itself "inhibits the full exercise of press freedom." The poll information was announced by a participant in a forum that the station broadcast live, even though organisers instructed participants not to reveal these statistics. Both groups note that Canal N, which has been openly critical of the government in the past, is receiving a much heavier fine than other broadcasters who have committed similar infractions in the past. According to IPYS, Canal N provided balanced coverage of the electoral process in the lead up to the elections, playing a critically important role in the democratic process.

Haiti

PERIODISTA DE RADIO ASESINADO

Haiti

UN JOURNALISTE DE LA RADIO EST ASSASSINÉ

Haiti

RADIO JOURNALIST ASSASSINATED

On 3 April, the well-known radio journalist Jean Léopold Dominique was shot and killed by two assailants, report Reporters sans frontières (RSF), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the European Journalism Centre (EJC). Dominique, who was former owner and director of the private pro-governmental radio station, Radio Haïti Inter, was killed after parking his car in the station's parking lot, says RSF. A radio station security guard was also killed during the attack. Dominique was a friend of President René Préval's and was known for his political commentaries in speaking out against the dictatorship, reports RSF. During one of his broadcasts, Dominique often criticised international politicians.

Canada

PERIODISTAS SE ENFRENTAN A LA AUTOCENSURA

Canada

JOURNALISTS FACE SELF-CENSORSHIP

The majority of Canadian journalists recently surveyed "identified external pressures from owners, advertisers and interest groups as significant news filters," report Bob Hackett and Richard Gruneau, in the "Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) Monitor". The authors published their findings in "The Missing News: Filters and Blind Spots in Canada's Press". Forty-five percent of Canadian journalists surveyed indicated that "the fear of reprisals from [media] owners occasionally or often leads reporters to censor themselves," although an even higher number (52 percent) said that they felt direct pressure "often" or "occasionally" from owners. In addition, approximately one-third of those interviewed stated that they had occasionally exercised self-censorship out of a fear of reprisals from advertisers, say the authors.

Peru

LE PARTI PRIS DES MÉDIAS ENTACHE LE PROCESSUS ÉLECTORAL

Peru

TENDENCIAS DE LOS MEDIOS ARRUINAN PROCESO ELECTORAL

Peru

MEDIA BIASES MAR ELECTORAL PROCESS

Observers of the pre-election period in Peru denounced the media's lack of objectivity in a recent report, stating that the biases have "muddied" the country's electoral campaign, says the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The country's general elections are scheduled to take place on 9 April. The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (Instituto Democrático Nacional para Asuntos Internacionales, NDI) and the Carter Center, an independent non-governmental organisation, which collaboratively prepared the report, state that many media groups "openly demonstrate their bias against, and hostility toward, opposition candidates and electoral observers." According to the monitors, a number of opposition candidates have been refused "paid publicity slots on widely broadcast stations." The Legal Defence Institute (Instituto de Defensa Legal, IDL) has also issued an "Alert" concerned with the fact that President Fujimori, who is seeking re-election, has controlled the country's most popular television stations "without needing to resort to legislation, expropriation, deportations or detentions."

Colombia

ASSASSINAT DU DIRECTEUR D?UNE RADIO COMMUNAUTAIRE; AUTRES NOUVELLES

Colombia

ASESINAN A UN PERIODISTA; OTRAS NOTICIAS

Colombia

MEDIA WORKER MURDERED

On 9 February, media worker Antonio Gómez Gómez was shot and killed by unknown assailants, reports the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Reporters sans frontières (RSF). Gómez was at home with his family when five men wearing hoods entered and killed him, reports RSF. Gómez was the owner of the radio station Echos of the Sierra (Ecos de la Sierra), in Palmor, municipality of Ciénaga-Magdalena, in the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta and head of a cable televisionservice in the region. Gómez used his radio station to promote community action campaigns.

Argentina

SE ENVÍAN PROPUESTAS PARA DESPENALIZAR LA DIFAMACIÓN

Argentina

LE TRIBUNAL PORTE UN COUP À L?IMPUNITÉ

Argentina

PROPOSALS FORWARDED TO DECRIMINALISE DEFAMATION

The recent Argentinian court decision to sentence eight individuals to life imprisonment for the murder of photojournalist Jose Luis Cabezas marks a victory for freedom of expression and a blow to impunity throughout the Americas, says the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). IAPA president Tony Pederson says that "it weighs on us to know the verdict will not bring Cabezas back to life, however it has established an important precedent in the Americas and sends the message that impunity can be overcome." Cabezas was murdered on 25 January 1997. IAPA states that the verdict must serve to further fuel the fight for the "guarantees and respect for journalists' safety, an end to terrorising the press, the disappearance of assassins, the burial of impunity and the prevailing of press freedom."

Brazil

LE TRIBUNAL ORDONNE LA FERMETURE DE 2 000 STATIONS DE RADIO

Brazil

TRIBUNAL ORDENA CIERRE DE 2,000 ESTACIONES DE RADIO

Brazil

COURT ORDERS CLOSURE OF 2,000 RADIO STATIONS

In early January, federal Judge Jose Marcos Lunadelli ordered that 2,000 community radio stations in Sao Paulo state must close by 6 February, reports the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC). The decision constitutes "one of the worst infractions against freedom of expression in Brazil," say local representatives of the community radio stations. Several days after the initial decision, the same judge also announced that any stations that ignored the order would have to pay US$ 2,500 for each day that they continued broadcasting.

Paraguay

PERIODISTAS SE ENFRENTARON A REPRESIÓN CONTINUA EN 1999

Paraguay

LA RÉPRESSION DES JOURNALISTES S?EST POURSUIVIE EN 1999

Paraguay

JOURNALISTS FACED ONGOING REPRESSION IN 1999

Journalists faced considerable repression in carrying out their work last year, says the Sindicato de Periodistas del Paraguay (Paraguay Union of Journalists, SPP) in its survey of freedom of expression in Paraguay in 1999. Members of the press suffered various forms of abuses and aggression while attempting to cover the country's political upheavals and developments in 1999. SPP states that these abuses were present throughout both the current president Gonzalez Macchi's rule as well as the former president's, Raul Cubas Grau, government. In 1999, after eight years of no arrests, several journalists were arrested as a result of their professional work, reports SPP. Journalists were also harassed and received death threats for carrying out their work. Some of the threats resulted from journalists coverage of government corruption and the assassination of the former vice-president.

United States

FUSIÓN AOL-TIME WARNER PODRÍA PLANTEAR AMENAZA A DIVERSIDAD DE MEDIOS

United States

POURRAIT CONSTITUER UNE MENACE POUR LA DIVERSITÉ DES MÉDIAS

United States

AOL-TIME WARNER MERGER COULD POSE THREAT TO MEDIA DIVERSITY

The merger of the Internet service provider American Online (AOL) with the media and entertainment company Time Warner could "threaten democratic values and freedom of expression unless action is taken to protect editorial independence from corporate influence," warns the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). According to IFJ, the recently announced merger has the potential to re-define "the worlds of entertainment, communication and commerce... but it may also threaten democracy, plurality and quality in media." IFJ cautions that the merger could decrease media diversity, noting that this move grants more control of information to fewer companies, and that it could widen the gap between the "information rich" and the "information poor." With respect to this gap, IFJ says that "half the world's population still have no access to a telephone. The information gap between rich and poor is already intolerable and now may be made much worse with a greater concentration of technology and information resources in rich, northern countries."

Guatemala

CORRESPONSAL DE NOTICIAS ASESINADO

Argentina

GOBIERNO ACUERDA DEROGAR LEY DE DIFAMACIÓN PENAL

Argentina

LE GOUVERNEMENT ACCEPTE D?ABROGER LA LOI PÉNALE SUR LA DIFFAMATION

Argentina

GOVERNMENT AGREES TO REPEAL CRIMINAL DEFAMATION LAW

The Argentine government has agreed with the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) recommendation that it should repeal its criminal defamation law, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). This move will make Argentina the first nation in Latin American where journalists can not be charged or jailed for criticising public officials, states CPJ. "This will affirm the press freedom that Argentine journalists have been using for the last two decades to investigate the government and denounce corruption," says Argentine journalist and PERIODISTAS vice-president Horacio Verbitsky. Verbitsky, who was often a target of former President Carlos Menem's government because of his investigative reporting, argued for the repeal of this law before the IACHR in Washington in the United States, on 1 October.

United States

HRW PIDE INVESTIGACIÓN DE VIOLENCIA POLICIACA

United States

HRW DEMANDE LA TENUE D?UNE ENQUÊTE SUR LA VIOLENCE POLICIÈRE

United States

HRW CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION OF POLICE VIOLENCE

The actions of police and city officials in their recent clash with protesters at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting in Seattle, United States, should be investigated by an impartial and independent panel, urges Human Rights Watch (HRW). HRW issued this statement in a 2 December press release that responds to allegations that the police used excessive and indiscriminate "force and city officials placed unwarranted restrictions on the rights to free expression and assembly of peaceful protesters in violation of constitutional and international standards." While HRW condemns the destructive or violent acts of some of the protesters, it emphasises that those named as responsible for abuses or wrongdoing by the aforementioned panel must be held accountable.

Colombia

DEUX EMPLOYÉS DES MÉDIAS SONT ASSASSINÉS

Colombia

ASESINAN A DOS TRABAJADORES DE MEDIOS

Colombia

TWO MEDIA WORKERS MURDERED

On 28 November, media workers Luis Alberto Rincon and Alberto Sánchez Tovar were assassinated five kilometers outside of El Playon in the department of Santander in Colombia, report Reporters sans frontières (RSF) and the International Press Institute (IPI). Freelance journalist Sánchez Tovar and freelance photographer Alberto Rincon were on their way to cover the municipal elections in El Playon that day. Both were shot at point-blank range and their equipment was stolen. RSF says that the "police suspect that the criminals were attempting to disguise the murder as a theft" and investigators believe that the paramilitary Colombian group United Self Defense Forces (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, AUC) may be responsible for the assassinations.

Chile

CONTINÚAN LAS VIOLACIONES A LIBRE EXPRESIÓN

Chile

LES VIOLATIONS DE LA LIBERTÉ D?EXPRESSION SE POURSUIVENT

Chile

FREE EXPRESSION VIOLATIONS CONTINUE

The Chilean government continues to flagrantly violate free expression despite its return to democracy in the past nine years, writes Chilean journalist Alejandra Matus in the latest issue of "Index on Censorship" entitled "After the Fall" (Vol. 5, 1999).

United States

AMARC EXIGE JUICIO JUSTO PARA MUMIA ABU-JAMAL

United States

L'AMARC EXIGE UN PROCÈS ÉQUITABLE POUR MUMIA ABU-JAMAL

United States

AMARC DEMANDS FAIR TRIAL FOR MUMIA ABU-JAMAL

In solidarity with other international groups, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) is demanding that United States journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal's death sentence be suspended and that he receive a fair trial. The international movement in solidarity with Jamal has recently stepped up its pressure on the US courts and government in light of the recent announcement of the 2 December date for Jamal's execution. While Jamal has received a stay of execution pending a Federal Judge's review of his case, the outcome of this stay is unknown.

Argentina

INICIATIVA DE LEY DE MEDIOS RESTRINGE PERIODISMO

Argentina

UN PROJET DE LOI SUR LES MÉDIAS RESTREINT LA PRATIQUE DU JOURNALISME

Argentina

MEDIA BILL RESTRICTS JOURNALISM

Media organisations and trade unions state that a bill approved by the Argentinian legislature on 1 September will regulate and restrict journalists' functions in the country, reports PERIODISTAS. According to these groups, the bill “violates freedom of expression” by removing certain responsibilities from journalists and assigning them solely to radio and television announcers. The legislation stipulates that only announcers “can direct or facilitate programmes” and “broadcast informative and news bulletins, and related or isolated news items.” PERIODISTAS reports that “the Argentinian Press Workers Federation (FATPREN) and the Buenos Aires Press Workers Union (UTPBA) warned that if the law is ratified, journalists will be prevented from performing some of their current duties, such as disseminating news items.”

Colombia

PERIODISTA ASESINADO

Colombia

UN JOURNALISTE EST TUÉ

Colombia

JOURNALIST KILLED

Colombian journalist Guzmán Quintero Torres was killed on 16 September, report the Fundacion para la Libertad de Prensa in Colombia, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) and the the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). Quintero Torres, editor-in chief of "El Pilon," was also

Paraguay

LE SPP DEMANDE LA GARANTIE DE LA LIBERTÉ D?EXPRESSION

Chile

COMMÉMORATION DES JOURNALISTES ASSASSINÉS ET DISPARUS

Paraguay

SPP PIDE SE GARANTICE LIBERTAD DE EXPRESIÓN

Chile

CONMEMORACIÓN DE PERIODISTAS ASESINADOS Y DESAPARECIDOS

Chile

COMMEMORATION OF ASSASSINATED AND DISAPPEARED JOURNALISTS

On 8 September, the anniversary of the journalist José Carrasco Tapia’s murder in 1986, the College of Journalists (CIAP) took the opportunity to dedicate a plaque in commemoration of all of the assassinated and disappeared journalists during the Pinochet dictatorship (1973-1990). Carrasco, who was editor of the discontinued magazine ANALISIS and director of CIAP, was the last of a series of journalists targeted by the Pinochet regime. The commemorative plaque was placed where Carrasco’s body was found.

Colombia

ASESINAN AL PERSONAJE DE LOS MEDIOS JAIME GARZÓN

Colombia

UNE PERSONNALITÉ DU MONDE DES MÉDIAS, JAIME GARZÓN, EST ASSASSINÉE

Colombia

MEDIA PERSONALITY JAIME GARZÓN MURDERED

One of Colombia's most popular political humorists, Jaime Garzon, was killed on 13 August, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters sans frontières (RSF), the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the International Press Institute (IPI). Garzon was driving to his job as morning host at the Bogota radio station Radionet when he was gunned down by two men on a motorcycle. The assassins managed to escape, reports RSF.

Panama

LE CONSEIL DES MINISTRES APPROUVE UNE MODIFICATION À LA LOI DE CENSURE

Cuba

PAR LA VIOLATION DES DROITS ET DES LOIS OPPRESSIVES

Panama

GABINETE APRUEBA ENMIENDA A LEY MORDAZA

Cuba

INFORME DE HRW DICE QUE SILENCIA DISENSO CON ABUSOS Y LEYES OPRESIVAS

Panama

PARLIAMENT APPROVES AMENDMENT TO GAG LAW

On 28 July, only two days after withdrawing a proposed amendment to the 1978 gag law, the Panamanian Cabinet approved an amendment to the law which the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) criticises as "only slightly different." A 30 July editorial in the Panama City-based daily "La Prensa" calls the new bill "the same injection with a different needle." The government's new proposal is expected to reach the Legislative Assembly early this week. CPJ says, "It is better than the first proposal in some respects, but worse in others."

Cuba

HRW REPORT SAYS DISSENT SILENCED WITH ABUSES, OPPRESSIVE LAWS

Fidel Castro's government silence dissent through intimidation, oppressive laws and imprisonment of dissidents in Cuba, says a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released on 23 July. The 263-page report, "Cuba's Repressive Machinery: Human Rights Forty Years After the Revolution", also says the United States trade embargo imposed against Cuba in 1961 "only makes matters worse." HRW adds, "Other international policies toward Cuba have shown more promise, but proved similarly ineffective in the absence of vigorous government support." The report describes how "Cuba's laws deny basic rights such as freedom of expression, association, and movement, and describes the plight of dozens of individuals prosecuted under those laws," including ill-treatment in prison.

Colombia

MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIÓN SUFREN, PRESIDENTE PROMETE INVESTIGAR

Colombia

LES MÉDIAS PÂTISSENT; LE PRÉSIDENT PROMET DE FAIRE ENQUÊTE

Colombia

MEDIA SUFFERS, PRESIDENT PROMISES TO INVESTIGATE

Freedom of the press is suffering in Colombia but the government has promised to investigate, according to Reporters sans frontières (RSF) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). On 23 June, RSF wrote to Colombian President Andrés Pastrana to encourage him to follow through with his promises to investigate crimes against journalists that have been carried out with impunity. "Since 1995, 18 journalists have been assassinated, nine media outlets have been the victims of bombings or attempted bombings, 20 media professionals have been kidnapped, at least 15 others have been threatened, and two others have had to leave the country and go into exile," reports RSF. According to the Foundation for Freedom of the Press (la Fundacion para la Libertad de Prensa,) in the last 20 years, 120 journalists have been killed in Colombia. At the Rio Summit between the European Union and Latin America being held on 28 and 29 June in Brazil, RSF called for an end to impunity for crimes against journalists.

Peru

JOURNALISTE DE LA RADIO BRUTALEMENT ASSASSINÉ

Peru

RADIO JOURNALIST BRUTALLY MURDERED

Journalist Félix Haro Rodríguez was found dead on 4 June in Peru, report the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS) and Reporters sans frontières (RSF). Haro Rodríguez was a professional photographer and host of "Recuerdos de los Andes", a programme featuring traditional music, which was broadcast on Radio 1160's affiliate in Aucayacu (north of Lima.) The journalist was attacked with machetes and his body dismembered in a manner "reminiscent of the method used by the Shining Path," says IPYS. Haro Rodríguez was last seen alive on 2 June after several unknown persons came to his home under the pretense of hiring him to take photographs at a social gathering. His body was discovered in Cotomonillo, three kilometers from Aucayacu, where six villagers had recently been assassinated by a brigade of the Shining Path.

United States

SENTENCIAS DE CÁRCEL

Argentina

EDITOR ASESINADO DESPUÉS DE AMENAZAS

Argentina

L'ÉDITEUR ET RÉDACTEUR EN CHEF D'UN HEBDOMADAIRE EST ASSASSINÉ

Argentina

EDITOR KILLED AFTER THREATS

Ricardo Gangeme, publisher and editor of the weekly "El Informador Chubutense", was assassinated on 13 May in Trelew, Argentina, report the Asociacion para la Defensa del Periodismo Independiente (Periodistas) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). He was shot at close range as he was arriving at the building where he had been living recently. According to Periodistas and CPJ, a large sum of money was found on the journalist, ruling out robbery as a possible motive. Periodistas reports that the motive for the crime is unknown, but local journalists alleged that on the previous Sunday powerful Patagonian businessman Héctor Fernández tried to run the journalist over with his truck and told him "what you are saying, it's going to cost you your life." Gangeme filed a report of these threats with the police and the case was before the Trelew criminal court. "In the last four editions of his weekly magazine, Gangeme had published articles on irregularities in purchases by the Trelew Electric Company for Corralon Fernández, which is owned by the businessman," according to Periodistas. About two years ago, legal proceedings were initiated to examine these irregularities, and Gangeme obtained information for his articles from the records of the case.

Peru

DES JOURNALISTES SONT MENACÉS

Paraguay

LES MÉDIAS SONT LA CIBLE D'ATTAQUES

Peru

PERIODISTAS AMENAZADOS; INVESTIGACIÓN DE MUERTE CERRADA

Paraguay

MEDIOS ATACADOS ENTRE LA VIOLENCIA POLÍTICA

Paraguay

MEDIA ATTACKED AMID POLITICAL VIOLENCE

A number of media were attacked during political violence in Paraguay, which culminated in the resignation of President Raúl Cubas Grau, reports the Sindicato de Periodistas del Paraguay (SPP). On the night of 26 March and the early morning of 27 March, four young people were killed and approximately 200 people injured, when snipers fired against demonstrators who had for several days been asking for the President's resignation. Luís González Macchi took over as President after Cubas resigned on 28 March and his military ally, former army chief Gen. Lino Oviedo, fled to Argentina. News reports allege that Oviedo was heavily involved in running the government and was responsible for the killings of the demonstrators and the assassination of Vice President Luis Maria Argaña last week.

Peru

JOURNALISTS THREATENED; MURDER INVESTIGATION CLOSED

Journalists across Peru have been attacked and threatened with death, report the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS) and the human rights section for Latin America of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in Peru. On 18 March, Radio Marañon journalist José Luis Linares Altamirano, was shot by two hooded assailants in his home in Jaen, Cajamarca, in northeastern Peru. Linares is the director of two radio programmes, one in which he reads press releases and a romantic one named "Punto Corazon". IPYS reports, "The bullets pierced Linares' small intestine and injured part of one of his kidneys, as a result of which he is fighting for his life." Etalo Salazar, chief of programming for Radio Marañon, told IPYS "this attack is part of a systematic campaign against journalists, particularly journalists working with this broadcaster, given that three months ago they began to receive threatening telephone calls, apparently in response to their critical stance on issues such as human rights violations and the environment."

Cuba

MUCHOS PERIODISTAS ARRESTADOS EN OFENSIVA

Panama

USAN LEYES MORDAZA CONTRA PERIODISTAS

Panama

LES LOIS QUI BÂILLONNENT LA PRESSE SERVENT CONTRE LES JOURNALISTES

Cuba

INTENSIFICATION DE LA RÉPRESSION; DE NOMBREUX JOURNALISTES SONT ARRÊTÉS

Panama

GAG LAWS USED AGAINST JOURNALISTS

The government of Panama is using gag laws to limit press freedom and punish journalists, in order to stifle debate prior to the 2 May presidential elections, says the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). In a 4 March letter sent to Panamanian President Ernesto Pérez Balladares, CPJ expressed alarm over the escalating enforcement of the laws, which were enacted during the military dictatorships of the 1970s and 1980s. CPJ called on the President "to eliminate the gag laws, which establish prison terms for defamation, permit prior censorship, grant the government the right to regulate who may practice journalism, and criminalise criticism of the president and other officials." CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper writes, "The fact that such laws are on the books in Panama is of grave concern. Even more alarming is that a democratically elected head of state would use such laws to stifle public debate."

Cuba

MANY JOURNALISTS ARRESTED IN CRACKDOWN

At least 15 journalists were arrested surrounding a sedition trial on 1 March in Cuba and two have gone missing, provoking an international outcry, report Reporters sans frontières (RSF), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the World Association of Newspapers (WAN). Neither Jesús Díaz Loyola, a HavanaPress reporter in Havana, nor José Edel García Díaz, a reporter with "Centro Norte del País" based in Caibarién, have been seen since 25 February and their whereabouts are unknown. The 15 journalists were detained to prevent them from covering the trial on 1 March of political dissidents Vladimiro Roca, Marta Beatriz Roque, Félix Bonne, and René Gomez, known as the "Group of Four", who are charged with sedition. CPJ says at least another 11 reporters were put under house arrest during the trial, which ended around 22:00 that day. In addition, State Security agents ordered reporters to clear the area in front of the courthouse, preventing the international press from covering the trial.

Cuba

UNE LOI SUPPRIME LA LIBERTÉ D'EXPRESSION

Cuba

LEY SUPRIME LIBERTAD DE EXPRESIÓN

Cuba

LAW SUPPRESSES FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

On 16 February, the National Assembly of Peoples' Power (ANPP) adopted a new law which constitutes a threat against freedom of expression in Cuba, according to Reporters sans frontières (RSF). The "Law for the Protection of the Cuban National Independence and Economy" would impose penalties of two to five years imprisonment or fines on those who collaborate with, or maintain relations with the media, with the intent to "(contribute to or facilitate) plans against the Cuban government, as pertains to the Helms-Burton law, the North American blockade, the economic war and other such subversive plans," according to Agence France Presse (AFP).

Mexico

CONTRÔLE TRÈS SERRÉ DES INFORMATIONS AU CHIAPAS

Mexico

NOTICIAS ESTRECHAMENTE CONTROLADAS EN CHIAPAS

Mexico

NEWS TIGHTLY CONTROLLED IN CHIAPAS

The flow of information is tightly controlled in Chiapas by both the authorities and the Zapatista rebels, reports the International Press Institute's (IPI) "IPI Report" (Fourth Quarter 1998.) James Smith of the "Los Angeles Times" reports for IPI on his trip to Chiapas in an article entitled "In Chiapas, the Search for Truth is Frustrating." Smith describes his journey to the conflict-ridden state of Chiapas in southern Mexico as one series of roadblocks after another. Since the 1994 uprising by the rebels, the government has kept a heavy army presence in the state. They set up roadblocks into zones declared autonomous by the Zapatistas and their supporters - who in turn set up their own roadblocks at the entrance to each community. Sometimes Smith was unable to obtain permission to talk to anybody, other times he had to wait at length for an official Zapatista spokesperson to comment on the current situation. Since the massacre in December 1997 of 45 Zapatista supporters in Acteal, the region has been very tense, and there have been "increasingly bloody clashes," says Smith.

Mexico

PERIODISTA ESTADOUNIDENSE PHILIP TRUE ASESINADO

Mexico

LE JOURNALISTE AMÉRICAIN PHILIP TRUE EST ASSASSINÉ

Mexico

US JOURNALIST PHILIP TRUE MURDERED

Journalist Philip True, Mexico correspondent for the United States-based "San Antonio Express-News" was found murdered in Mexico earlier this month in suspicious circumstances, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters sans frontières (RSF) . CPJ says, "Because of the circumstances of this crime, we fear that True may have been murdered in reprisal for his work as a journalist." According to his editors and family members, True left his home in Mexico City on 28 November for a ten-day reporting trip through the rugged Sierra Madre Occidental of Nayarit and Jalisco states. After visiting the region earlier this year, True had filed a memo with his editors at the paper in April outlining a major project on the local Huichol Indians. True was last seen alive in the village of Chalmotitia on 4 December.

United States

MUMIA ABU-JAMAL PIERDE APELACIÓN

United States

REJET DE L'APPEL DE MUMIA ABOU-JAMAL

Canada

ASSASSINAT DU DIRECTEUR D?UN JOURNAL

Canada

NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER KILLED

Canadian newspaper publisher Tara Singh Hayer was shot to death outside of his home in Surrey, just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia home on the evening of 18 November, according to the Canadian Committee to Protect Journalists (CCPJ).

Canada

REDACTOR DE PERIÓDICO ASESINADO

Argentina

QUI PERMET D'EMPRISONNER LES JOURNALISTES QUI DISSIMULENT LEUR ENREGISTREMENTS