The Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) is bemoaning the decline in press freedom and increase in violence against journalists in several South American countries over the past six months.
Five journalists have been killed in the region in the past six months: three in Mexico, one in Argentina and another in Honduras. More than 30 were attacked in Peru, and 32 were threatened in Colombia.
"The transfer of power in Cuba from Fidel Castro to his brother did not improve the status of the 25 journalists still in prison or the adverse working conditions of independent journalists," the association stated following a midyear meeting in Caracas, Venezuela, on the weekend.
IAPA adds that it is concerned about the impunity surrounding crimes against journalists, especially in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Paraguay.
Undermining the credibility
According to IAPA, Paraguay had the largest increase in reports of verbal attacks on the media. Attacks aimed at undermining the credibility of the press were also noted in Uruguay, Venezuela, Honduras, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Bolivia and Argentina.
"The recent increase in state-owned media outlets in the region is clear evidence of new efforts by various governments to control information," IAPA also concluded. The association reports that, in Venezuela, the government has taken control of several radio and TV stations. A monopoly of radio frequencies currently is in the hands of the government of Guyana while in Bolivia, the government created chains of state-owned radio and TV stations, allegedly with the backing of Iran and Venezuela, IAPA also reports.
The association says the governments of Guyana, Argentina, Uruguay, Nicaragua, Mexico and the Dominican Republic have also been discriminating against newspapers because of their editorial policies by punishing or rewarding them through the placement of government advertisements.
However, there has been some victory for the press, it says. In Argentina, a provincial government, following a Supreme Court ruling, established a procedure to allocate advertising in a non-discriminatory manner.
