“If confirmed, these types of practices not only impact a news organization, but also generate a chilling effect across the entire information ecosystem.”
Miami (May 8, 2026) – The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) expresses concern over a complaint filed by Paraguay’s ABC Color newspaper regarding an alleged systematic persecution against it using the state apparatus, and the prosecutorial and judicial systems.
According to media director Natalia Zuccolillo, the newspaper and its business group would be the target of a harassment strategy that includes stigmatization campaigns and the alleged instrumentalization of the Public Prosecutor’s Office to advance unfounded criminal proceedings, aimed at generating a “chilling effect” intended to limit the practice of independent journalism.
In a letter sent to the IAPA, the outlet states that these actions would have arisen following the publication of journalistic investigations related to the corruption case known as FIFAGate and the dissemination of audits involving high-ranking regional football officials. These reports would have triggered retaliatory actions initially directed at the newspaper’s business environment, particularly through legal proceedings against Banco Atlas.
It also raises alleged irregularities in prosecutorial conduct, including claims of external interference in the conduct of the investigation, witness inducement, and the use of arguments provided by the complainant in official documents. It also warns about attempts to internationalize the case without sufficient evidentiary support, which would have affected the reputation of the entities involved.
ABC Color maintains that, despite the existence of elements questioning the basis of the accusation—including information indicating the absence of financial damage, the criminal process advanced to the filing of formal charges, which, in its view, confirms the political and retaliatory nature of the judicial action.
IAPA President Pierre Manigault stated that “if these facts are confirmed, this would be a serious case of the use of justice as a mechanism of pressure against a media outlet, which constitutes a direct threat to press freedom and democratic principles.” Manigault, president of Evening Post Publishing Inc., based in Charleston, South Carolina, United States, added that “the instrumentalization of state institutions to intimidate or silence critical voices is incompatible with inter-American standards on freedom of expression.”
Chair of the IAPA’s Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, Martha Ramos, said that “the complaint presented reflects worrying indications of a possible improper use of the judicial system to affect an independent media outlet.” Ramos, editorial director of Organization of Editorial Mexicana (OEM), stated that “if confirmed, these types of practices not only impact a news organization, but also generate a chilling effect across the entire information ecosystem.”
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.