The work of the press has been significantly impacted by the direct actions of the Armed Forces, which have established a pattern of intimidation, defamation, and stigmatization against journalists and media outlets.
The work of the press has been significantly impacted by the direct actions of the Armed Forces, which have established a pattern of intimidation, defamation, and stigmatization against journalists and media outlets.
On September 29, the Armed Forces published a front-page story on their digital platform, labeling journalist Rodrigo Wong Arévalo as “a traitor to the homeland.” The publication accused him of “defending El Salvador’s positions in the dispute over the Gulf of Fonseca,” thereby exposing him to imminent risk.
The Honduran Journalists’ Association (CPH) and the Honduran Media Association (AMC) condemned the attack. They called on the Armed Forces to stop fostering a pattern of “hatred and division within the Honduran family.”
Previously, the IAPA had condemned a “harassment campaign” led by the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Roosevelt Hernández, against journalists and media outlets. The military high command promoted legal actions aimed at forcing more than a dozen media outlets to reveal their sources. The IAPA condemned these actions as violations of “fundamental principles of journalism and constitutional and international rights that protect the confidentiality of information.”
On May 26, the Armed Forces’ digital outlet discredited prominent journalists. The front-page article, titled “Hitmen of the Truth,” was accompanied by photographs of journalists Rodrigo Wong Arévalo, director of the program Abriendo Brecha and owner of Canal 10; Juan Carlos Sierra, president of the CPH; and Dagoberto Rodríguez, director of Radio Cadena Voces.
On July 31, several banners were displayed on various streets of Tegucigalpa featuring the names, faces, and affiliations with media organizations of nine journalists. The posters, bearing the message: “Hitmen of the truth, weapons of mass disinformation, they don’t want elections to take place,” were attributed to the so-called Honduran Popular Movement.
These incidents add to other violations, marking an increase in intolerance toward criticism, reflected in threats, intimidation, stigmatization, targeted physical attacks, insults, smear campaigns, and arbitrary detentions.
On June 1, 2025, Salvadoran journalist Javier Hércules Salinas was murdered in the department of Copán while driving a vehicle he used as a taxi. According to press reports, he was intercepted by armed men on motorcycles. Since 2023, he has been under protection measures from the National Protection System, after having received threats and being the victim of a kidnapping.
During this period, several arbitrary detentions of journalists covering social protests were also documented.
Groups dedicated to the defense of freedom of expression, both nationally and internationally, emphasize that the country needs progress in press freedom to strengthen its democracy. They call for an end to the criminalization of expression, the restoration of protections for digital journalism, the cancellation of state surveillance initiatives, guarantees of institutional transparency, diligent investigation and sanctioning of all attacks, and compliance with commitments made before the IACHR and UNESCO.
