Reports from the capital of Haiti this week highlighted the daily nightmare that the work of journalists has become. Three journalists have been killed this year, and violence, whether in the form of attacks or kidnappings, has affected more than a dozen press workers.
Venezuela has also been painted in Red on IAPA Bot's heat map due to the continuous attacks against the press this pre-electoral year. In August, 27 violations of freedom of expression were registered.
President Nicolás Maduro accused the Voice of America of "damaging Venezuela" for a report on tourism amid a severe economic crisis. The regime also reopened the trial against journalist Roland Carreño for "financing terrorism, conspiracy against political form and illicit trafficking of weapons of war."
In Nicaragua, the head of the Army, General Julio César Avilés, described the independent media as "news mercenaries and mercenaries" and warned them that "the country is not to be trifled with." Independent journalists said that Avilés wants to intimidate exiled journalists who continue to report from abroad.
In Cuba, journalists Henry Constantín and José Luis Tan Estrada were detained while trying to attend the trial of activist Lenelis Delgado Cué, who is facing contempt charges. Both were released after several hours under custody.
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.
