In Bolivia, three journalists received threats via WhatsApp for their publications on drug trafficking. A police chief verbally abused another. The National Press Association (ANP) urged the Bolivian government to guarantee the work of the press.
Journalists celebrated their day in El Salvador, but IAPA Bot colored that nation in red due to a report of the Journalists Association, which pointed out a drastic increase in aggression against journalists. In addition, a survey by the Colectiva de Mujeres Periodistas, Comunicadoras y Trabajadoras de la Información presented the results of a study that indicated that 50% of Salvadoran women journalists had suffered acts of violence.
In Mexico, journalist Jorge Ugalde Hernández, director of the portal "Descontento Ciudadano Quintanarroense," escaped unharmed from a shooting attack on his home. And in Peru, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) granted precautionary measures to journalist Gustavo Andrés Gorriti, director of IDL-Reporteros, because he is "at risk of irreparable harm to his rights."
Media closures continued to widen the information deserts in Venezuela. Two radio stations closed their doors: Radio Caracas Radio and Éxtasis.
On the other hand, the Inter American Press Association expressed concern about the legislative actions of the Argentine provinces of Salta and La Rioja governments. The first case aims to punish "fake news" dissemination with arrest penalties and fines. The second, constitutional reform, is being negotiated to control the media further.
Canada was also a victim of attacks on the press, this time by a technological giant: Facebook. The company began restricting Canadian users' access to news from its platform. The measure responded to a new law requiring platforms to pay the media for their journalistic content.
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.
