Press Freedom Index plummets in the Americas

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The results of the Chapultpec Index were presented during the IAPA General Assembly in Mexico.
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Mexico City (November 10, 2023) - The Chapultepec Index of Press Freedom in the Americas fell to its lowest point in the last four years with declines in the scores of 18 of the 22 countries analyzed by the barometer of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA).

The overall average for the region dropped to only 47.84 points out of a possible 100 points. This is the first time it has been below 50.

The Chapultepec Index 2023, presented during the second day of sessions at the 79th IAPA General Assembly, is compiled in partnership with the Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB) and includes the participation of academics in the areas of freedom of expression and press freedom, methodology and statistics.

The barometer shows the constant regression of communication rights in Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba, marked as nations without freedom of the press or of expression. Also trends of deterioration were noted in Honduras, El Salvador, Bolivia and Guatemala.

Some nations that showed significant declines in the Chapultepec Index are Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Paraguay and Ecuador. Of these, Costa Rica remained in the low restriction band.

Despite accumulating scores that place them in the "low constraint" range, the following countries improved their performance: Jamaica, Uruguay, Panama, the United States and Canada.

Few countries showed significant progress this year. One of them is the Dominican Republic, the only one in the group of countries with broad freedom of expression, which slightly surpassed 80 points. Brazil showed a slight improvement, but still not enough to surpass 50 points.

See the Chapultepec Index 2023 here

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 from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.

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