“Journalism and Press Freedom: Regression and Authoritarian Reconfiguration
The practice of journalism and freedom of expression in our hemisphere continue to deteriorate, while authoritarian reconfiguration from those in power is becoming increasingly evident, as demonstrated by events recorded between October 2025 and April 2026. Evaluated through the lens of the Chapultepec Declaration, the reports submitted by each country reveal systematic violations of the principle that freedom must not be curtailed by any act of power. Various governments continue to engage in prior censorship, limit the free flow of information, and instrumentalize the judiciary to stifle critical voices.
At the same time, the digital environment has consolidated as a new front of repression, directly contravening the Salta II Declaration. This framework warns of threats such as cyber-surveillance, smear campaigns, state-driven disinformation, and digital violence.
Regional Analysis (October 2025 – April 2026)
Judicial harassment through restrictive regulations has become the primary mechanism of institutional censorship.
- In Nicaragua, the Special Cybercrimes Law is used to criminalize journalists and sources, imposing sentences of up to five years in prison.
• In Panama, a legal framework persists that allows the seizure of media assets from the outset of proceedings through multimillion-dollar civil lawsuits (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation – SLAPP), encouraging self-censorship. This is compounded by the advancement of restrictive reforms to the right of reply.
• In Paraguay and Canada, legislation presented under the guise of protection (Data Protection Law and Online Harms Law, respectively) is being used—or threatens to be used—to block access to public information or create a chilling effect on critical speech.
• In the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Justice have issued guidelines and taken actions that threaten broadcasting licenses under allegations of “bias” and undermine the protection of journalistic sources.
At the same time, the constant stigmatization of the press by the highest levels of power has become a structural pattern.
- Leaders such as Javier Milei in Argentina, Gustavo Petro in Colombia, Rodrigo Chaves in Costa Rica, and Donald Trump in the United States maintain a recurring hostile rhetoric. Milei has labeled journalists as “filthy pens,” while cabinet officials have described critical journalism as “political operations.”
• Direct restrictions on access to official information and press conferences have intensified. In Puerto Rico, the Executive proposed restricting access to La Fortaleza through arbitrary certifications, and although the matter reached the courts, on April 17 the Supreme Court ruled by majority that La Fortaleza may require journalists to hold an official credential. In Guyana, the president continues to avoid open press conferences, and in Ecuador, the military classified media outlets as “aligned” or “critical” to condition accreditation.
• During the electoral process in Chile, government pressure persisted, alongside complaints about the use of unlicensed content by public agencies.
Within this framework, manipulation of state advertising persists.
- In Guyana, the unjustified withholding of government advertising payments financially suffocated the historic newspaper Stabroek News, forcing the closure of its print edition after accumulating approximately USD 400,000 in government debt.
• In Haiti, the government denies advertising to independent outlets such as Radio Mega strictly based on their editorial line.
• In Chile, the Electoral Service failed to pay regional media following the electoral process.
• In Mexico and Costa Rica, reports denounce ongoing discretion and opacity in the allocation of government communication budgets to favor agendas aligned with those in power.
Under these conditions, it is not surprising that the region remains lethal for the press. During this period, physical violence has intensified.
- In Peru, the contract killings of Fernando Núñez and Mitzar Bato Castillejos made 2025 the most violent year for national journalism in decades.
• In Mexico, the murders of Miguel Ángel Beltrán Martínez and Carlos Castro, in a context of reporting on organized crime, demonstrate the constant high risk.
• In Ecuador, the killings of Fernando Álvarez and Robinson del Pezo revealed the advance of crime and the vulnerability of the press in the country’s interior.
• In Haiti, journalists have again become direct targets of organized crime, illustrated by the kidnapping and disappearance of Osnel Espérance and Junior Célestin by gangs.
• In the United States, the press faced attacks with rubber bullets and pepper spray by federal forces while covering migration control operations, constituting a serious violation of designated press coverage areas.
In this environment, impunity and the lack or weakening of protection undermine journalistic work. Few cases reach the courts, and the lack of judicial resolution perpetuates cycles of violence and encourages new attacks.
- Mexico reports 98% impunity in crimes against the press, facilitating repeated attacks against journalists and human rights defenders.
• In Peru, the Constitutional Court released in February Daniel Urresti, convicted for the 1988 murder of journalist Hugo Bustíos, on statute-of-limitations grounds, violating international commitments and reinforcing a climate of structural impunity.
• In Haiti, institutional collapse has turned the country into a territory of exceptional impunity, where most crimes against journalists do not even reach basic procedural stages.
• Nicaragua has become one of the most extreme scenarios of press freedom suppression in the hemisphere, combining police repression, judicial arbitrariness, economic suffocation, exile, constant surveillance, and digital violence; 26 more journalists fled in 2025, bringing the total to over 300 exiles.
• In El Salvador, the use of the state of exception and harassment has forced dozens of journalists into exile and led to the relocation of the Association of Journalists of El Salvador (APES) to Guatemala.
• In Cuba, hyper-surveillance by police and direct threats have forced many contributors and content creators to cease their work to protect their families.
Monitoring and Developments by Country
Argentina
• Evolution: The October 2025 report warned of a presidential strategy of discrediting. The situation persisted and worsened, with President Javier Milei calling a journalist a “filthy pen” on social media.
• New developments: Prior censorship in Tucumán, physical violence against reporters by security forces outside Congress, and pressure from the new state body “Official Response Office,” created to discredit journalistic investigations as “operations.”
Bolivia
• Evolution: Violence reported in 2025 transitioned into a post–Luis Arce period. With Rodrigo Paz assuming the presidency in November 2025, structural damage from nearly two decades of harassment persists.
• New developments: Deep self-censorship and financial suffocation continue, leading to the closure of traditional print outlets (Página Siete, El Día, and recently Opinión). Physical attacks on the press during protests and anti-smuggling operations persist.
Brazil
• Evolution: Intimidation by political and judicial actors remains a trend.
• New developments: Investigative reports on financial scandals (Banco Master case) have led to judicial censorship at first instance. The Supreme Federal Court authorized a raid on a journalist’s home to reveal sources, violating constitutional norms and Salta II. Physical and digital violence against women journalists (Malu Gaspar, Andréia Sadi, Duda Dalponte) increased alarmingly.
Canada
• Evolution: Concerns remained about “chilling effects” from moderation laws.
• New developments: A “targeted harassment machine” (HonestReporting) intensified attacks on journalists covering Palestine, leading to indirect editorial censorship. Concerns persist over the gag effect of Bill C-9 on criticism of the judiciary.
Chile
• Evolution: Tensions with the state persist, including unpaid obligations by the Electoral Service and complaints about unlicensed content use. The journalist protection law remains stalled.
• New developments: The 2025 electoral cycle heightened polarization, intensifying anti-media rhetoric, especially on social media, alongside aggression, threats, and judicial restrictions.
Colombia
• Evolution: President Gustavo Petro’s stigmatizing discourse on X has continued, legitimizing attacks.
• New developments: Journalism in rural areas remains life-threatening, with reporters in Cauca and Putumayo threatened or declared military targets by armed groups.
Costa Rica
• Evolution: Hostile rhetoric from President Rodrigo Chaves and manipulation of official advertising persisted.
• New developments: Chaves discredited the Constitutional Chamber after a ruling against a radio frequency tender lacking pluralism. Cases of police destruction of journalistic equipment were documented. Positively, Congress repealed prison penalties for defamation, though fines remain.
Cuba
• Evolution: Repression and total control continue worsening amid economic and energy crises.
• New developments: Arbitrary detentions (e.g., Henry Constantín) and repression of digital creators persist; amnesties tied to international negotiations lack clarity on imprisoned journalists.
Ecuador
• Evolution: Digital censorship escalated into lethal violence.
• New developments: Two journalists were murdered in retaliation for watchdog reporting. The government temporarily shut down open data portals, and armed forces profiled journalists to restrict access.
El Salvador
• Evolution: Forced displacement led to APES relocating to Guatemala.
• New developments: Investigative journalism faces total harassment under the state of exception; extraterritorial judicial actions include the arrest of photojournalist Diego Rosales in Spain.
United States
• Evolution: Anti-press rhetoric and regulatory threats materialized into executive actions.
• New developments: An unprecedented FBI raid on journalist Hannah Natanson’s home violated source protection. Federal forces attacked journalists during migration protests (“Operation Metro Surge”). The FCC pursued politically motivated actions against opinion programs, and the Pentagon altered rules to revoke press credentials arbitrarily.
Guatemala
• Evolution: Relative stability.
• New developments: José Rubén Zamora was granted house arrest after over three years of pretrial detention, though prosecutors continue appeals and harassment of elPeriódico columnists.
Guyana
• Evolution: Economic strangulation through withheld advertising achieved censorship goals.
• New developments: Stabroek News ceased print publication due to unpaid government debts; lack of presidential press conferences continues.
Haiti
• Evolution: Anarchy has created “news deserts” dominated by gangs.
• New developments: Journalists kidnapped amid state inaction; a decree penalizing “defamation” aims to intimidate anti-corruption reporting.
Honduras
• Evolution: Military intimidation intensified during elections.
• New developments: Officials misused state media and resources to discredit independent outlets; disinformation campaigns targeted journalists.
Mexico
• Evolution: Judicial harassment persists despite official denial of censorship.
• New developments: Murders of journalists highlight ongoing violence; authorities misuse prosecutors to intimidate media; opaque allocation of state advertising continues.
Nicaragua
• Evolution: Near-total dismantling persists.
• New developments: Expanded surveillance, forced disappearances (e.g., Fabiola Tercero), and intensified digital censorship.
Panama
• Evolution: Civil lawsuits remain the main threat.
• New developments: La Prensa faces 13 lawsuits; legislative reforms threaten editorial autonomy.
Paraguay
• Evolution: Increasingly hostile environment.
• New developments: Data protection laws used to block access to public information; direct attacks by the president.
Peru
• Evolution: Violence continues after record year.
• New developments: Two journalists killed; release of Hugo Bustíos’ killer; legislative efforts to criminalize leaks.
Puerto Rico
• Evolution: Government opacity increased through legislation.
• New developments: The governor extended public information deadlines to 50 days (PS63) and attempted to restrict press conference access through accreditation; the Supreme Court upheld the requirement for official press credentials.
Dominican Republic
• Evolution: Stable environment.
• New developments: Isolated cases of excessive police force against journalists.
Uruguay
• Evolution: Stability with recent abuses.
• New developments: Irregular police summons of a journalist violated source protection.
Venezuela
• Evolution: Repressive regime enters a supposed transition.
• New developments: Partial releases under an amnesty law; continued closures of radio stations and media expropriations.
From the IAPA, we insist…
- End aggression and impunity: Murder, kidnapping, and intimidation violate Principle 4 of Chapultepec; states must ensure independent investigations.
• Stop judicial harassment: Eliminate legal mechanisms designed to suffocate media.
• Ensure neutrality in state resources: Replace discretionary advertising with transparent systems.
• Protect sources and cyberspace: Respect privacy, encryption, and confidentiality.
• End stigmatization: Officials must stop defamatory rhetoric and recognize journalism as a fundamental right.
The IAPA continues to monitor developments in Venezuela, follow favorable rulings in Costa Rica, and support judicial decisions defending press freedom in the United States.”
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.
