The closure of the Bolivian newspaper Página 7 had significant repercussions in the region. It recalled recent events in other countries where political persecution and economic pressures have forced the closure of traditional newspapers, such as elPeriódico of Guatemala and La Prensa of Nicaragua.
Several media warned that there is a "risk of economic asphyxiation by the Government" in Bolivia." The National Press Association of Bolivia issued a message repudiating the newspaper's closure and highlighting the independent press's role.
On the other hand, Amnesty International denounced "the detention and harassment" of Cuban journalist and writer Jorge Fernández, who has been the victim of attacks by State Security.
In Mexico, the well-known journalist Carlos Jiménez received death threats through a video in which five men appeared with guns and machetes. The men accuse the journalist of "meddling in subjects that do not correspond to him." On the other hand, without apparent cause, the journalist Claudia Guerrero, director of Periódico Vera, began to be the subject of a police investigation
In Nicaragua, the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo once again attacked the Nicaraguan press. The house of exiled journalist and writer Sergio Ramírez was confiscated. The building housed the cultural institution Fundación Luisa Mercado.
In Paraguay, the Round Table for the Safety of Journalists met with Emiliano Rolón Fernández, attorney general, to express their concern regarding the possible lack of follow-up and information on the cases of journalists threatened in different parts of the country.
IAPA Bot is an artificial intelligence tool of the Inter American Press Association that monitors press freedom violations in real time. It tracks information published in the media, Google News, Twitter, and from a selection of IAPA notes and denunciations. In addition, it contains a heat map that allows observing the press freedom climate in each country, a button to make complaints, and a menu that highlights the statements of government leaders, citizens' conversations, and relevant events.
IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications in the Western Hemisphere, based in Miami, Florida, United States.
