Miami (March 19, 2025) – The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) has expressed concern over the criminal complaint filed on Tuesday by the Honduran Ministry of Finance (Sefin, for its Spanish acronym) against Dagoberto Rodríguez, director of Radio Cadena Voces (RCV), calling it an attempt to intimidate the media outlet in retaliation for publishing a report on alleged irregularities in the management of public funds.
RCV recently reported an overdraft of 6.5 billion lempiras—more than USD 250,000—in the Treasury of Honduras, allegedly allocated for organizing primary elections and managed by Sefin, the Ministry of Social Development (Sedesol), and the Agricultural Development Bank (Banadesa), according to media reports.
In response, Sefin announced a lawsuit for libel and slander against Rodríguez, accusing the media outlet of spreading information without documentary evidence.
The government entity argued that "the accusation made by RCV lacks any evidence or documentary proof, making it purely speculative," and stated that the claim had been entirely refuted in Official Statement DCI-013-2025.
Additionally, Sefin maintained that the Law on Freedom of Expression protects the right to information but does not allow what it described as a "smear campaign based on false, inaccurate, or nonexistent information."
In response, RCV reaffirmed its commitment to investigative journalism and transparency in managing public resources, asserting that its report on the 6.5-billion-lempira overdraft in the General Treasury of the Republic was based on "credible and verifiable information."
The broadcaster emphasized that its work is based on the constitutional right to inform the public about public fund management and rejected any attempt at censorship or intimidation aimed at silencing its journalistic efforts. It also stressed that "RCV will not bow to official narratives that seek to distort documented facts, nor will it succumb to pressure intended to suppress reports on the misuse of public funds."
Criminal complaints against journalists and media outlets for alleged libel and slander contradict the jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the principles of freedom of expression recognized in the IACHR's Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and the IAPA's Declaration of Chapultepec. The latter's tenth principle states that "no news media nor journalist may be punished for publishing the truth, criticizing, or denouncing the government.
There is growing consensus among international organizations and inter-American human rights jurisprudence that civil laws provide sufficient remedies for libel and slander claims against journalism.
"Criminal complaints against journalists serve as a mechanism of censorship that undermines democratic principles and violates international standards of freedom of expression," said José Roberto Dutriz, president of the IAPA. "Such legal actions have a clear chilling effect and seek to deter investigative journalism, which is essential for accountability and government transparency," added Dutriz, CEO and general director of La Prensa Gráfica of El Salvador.
Carlos Jornet, second vice president of the IAPA and president of the Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, emphasized that "public officials are subject to greater scrutiny by the press. Instead of resorting to criminal lawsuits, authorities should foster an environment conducive to independent journalism," said Jornet, director of La Voz del Interior of Córdoba, Argentina.
The IAPA is closely monitoring the state of press freedom in Honduras. In January, the organization opposed a defamation lawsuit filed by the National Emergency System 911 against journalists from El Heraldo. In February, the IAPA condemned an intimidation campaign against the press in Honduras by the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces, who initiated legal actions against 12 media outlets to force them to reveal their sources. The military official later announced he would withdraw the legal actions, but he has not yet followed through.
The 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.