Americas

After nearly a year in prison, Venezuelan journalist Rory Branker is finally free. But he has yet to liberate himself from what legal experts and press freedom groups describe as trumped-up criminal charges that are hanging over his head.  After the U.S. military ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January, Branker was one of more than two dozen journalists to be…

Washington, D.C., May 12, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists demands that the United States Justice Department immediately withdraw grand jury subpoenas targeting reporters at The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in connection with their reporting on the Iran war. CNN reported that President Donald Trump ordered acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to submit the subpoenas using a sticky…

Mexico City, May 8, 2026—El Salvador President Nayib Bukele’s administration must immediately unfreeze the bank accounts and property of El Faro’s shareholders and end its use of the country’s Ministry of Finance as a tool for harassment of the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. Between February and April 2026, the Salvadoran government…

Bogotá, May 8, 2026—Colombian authorities must thoroughly investigate the killing of journalist Mateo Pérez Rueda, determine if he was targeted for his work, and bring those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. Pérez was last seen at around 4 p.m. on May 5 near the town of Briceño in Antioquia department in northwest Colombia…

MEXICO CITY May 7, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) joined the Inter American Press Association (SIP-IAPA) in a series of meetings with Mexico’s judicial leadership on Wednesday to address systemic impunity and the ongoing crisis of violence against the press.  The delegation, which included CPJ Américas Director José Zamora and prominent regional editors, met…

During President Donald Trump’s second term, immigration authorities under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have increasingly used their powers to curb independent and critical reporting.  Here are four things you need to know about how immigration agencies have participated in restricting press freedom in the United States:   See CPJ’s first-ever travel advisory for journalists entering and…

Washington, D.C., May 5, 2026—The Trump administration’s revocation of visas as a way to police speech must end, and immigration officials should offer a clear explanation as to why the directors of one of Costa Rica’s leading watchdog outlets, La Nación, were barred from traveling to the United States, the Committee to Protect Journalists said…

Mexico City, May 5, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) calls for a prompt and transparent investigation into the killing of journalist Carlos Humberto Cal Ical, who was shot and killed outside his home in central Guatemala on April 26. Cal, a prominent journalist with over 25 years of experience, was intercepted by unidentified individuals…

The Committee to Protect Journalists joined a letter to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon calling on his office to drop federal charges against journalist Georgia Fort and other members of the press. Fort was arrested on January 30 in connection with her coverage of a protest at a Minnesota church led by local activists against…

To mark World Press Freedom Day, CPJ’s Américas Director José Zamora and Amnesty International USA’s Senior Director of Research Justin Mazzola published an op-ed calling attention to the Trump administration’s actions to silence journalists and attack independent media. The editorial highlights the case of independent journalist Georgia Fort, who was arrested in January in connection with her reporting…