Miami (December 15, 2023) – 2023 was cruel for journalists. They suffered attacks and slander, and many went into exile or moved within their countries to avoid violence or the lack of state protection.
Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world, after Gaza, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), where four journalists were murdered and 114 were denied government protection. In Peru, 230 were attacked, and nine journalists left Ecuador due to threats from organized crime.
In Guyana, journalist Travis Chase emerged unharmed from a shooting attack as he arrived at his home. In 2020, he suffered another attack when unknown people set fire to his car.
In Cuba, the regime harassed 39 independent journalists during International Human Rights Day, arbitrarily detaining them, threatening them, and cutting off their internet. The IAPA Chapultepec Index places Cuba among the countries "without freedom of expression."
Paraguayan senator Carlos Núñez hit the microphones of the journalists who were interviewing him because they asked him about his alleged links to arms trafficking. The incident was condemned by the Paraguayan Journalists Union (SPP).
Los del Medio, an Ecuadorian digital media, reported cyber attacks on its social networks. The hackers deleted several news videos about the Manta Mayor's Office.
The Venezuelan NGO Redes Ayuda denounced the repression against the press, blaming the government of Nicolás Maduro. "From officials of State security organizations to actors linked to irregular armed groups, they committed violations of fundamental rights. Press workers have been victims of harassment, threats, physical and verbal attacks, and arbitrary arrests."
In Argentina, the government of Javier Milei suspended official advertising to the media for one year.
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.
