Americas
2018
CPJ’s backgrounder on US press freedom
In recent weeks CPJ has noticed an uptick in interest from editorial boards of U.S. publications on issues related to press freedom in the United States. In light of this, the following data and reporting may be helpful. CPJ systematically tracks the killing and imprisonment of journalists around the world, and reports on threats and…
Mexican federal authorities interview reporter as potential trial witness
The office of Mexico’s Federal Attorney General (PGR) on July 11, 2018, sent an email to the news website Quadratin summoning one of its reporters, Jorge Octavio Vargas Sandoval, for an interview at its regional office in Chilpancingo on July 16 in regards to an article he wrote, according to the reporter and the publication’s…
CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering Unite the Right rally and counter-protests in Washington, D.C.
Hundreds of protesters are expected to join a “white civil rights rally” in Washington, D.C., on August 11 and 12 to mark the one-year anniversary of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which became violent and resulted in the death of one woman. A coalition of local organizations is planning counter-protests in Washington…
Chilean reporter could face jail time on criminal defamation charges
New York, July 27, 2018–Chilean authorities should immediately drop all criminal proceedings against a journalist charged with defamation, and lawmakers should act swiftly to repeal all criminal defamation laws, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The journalist, Javier Ignacio Rebolledo Escobar, could face up to three years in prison if convicted next month.
Guatemalan minister uses law preventing violence against women to silence critical journalist
A Guatemalan judge on July 17, 2018, approved a court order allowing a government official to sue journalist José Rubén Zamora for psychological violence and discrimination, and barring Zamora from writing about the official under a law created to prevent violence against women, according to a CPJ phone interview with Zamora on July 19, 2018,…
Mexican journalist and media owner killed in Quintana Roo
Mexico City, July 25, 2018–Authorities in the southern Mexican state of Quintana Roo must undertake a swift, credible, and exhaustive investigation into the murder of journalist and media owner Rubén Pat Cauich. Pat was shot to death by an unknown attacker on July 24 in a bar in the coastal resort city of Playa del…
Colombian journalists receive series of threats over 72 hours
New York, July 18, 2018–Colombian authorities should immediately investigate a series of threats against journalists and news outlets in recent days, ensure the journalists’ safety, and bring those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
CPJ calls for Peru to stop harassing news outlets over investigative reporting
New York, July 17, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Peruvian authorities to end their harassment of two news outlets. A government body issued summonses to the directors of news website IDL-Reporteros and the TV program “Panorama,” and the public prosecutor and police went to the offices of IDL-Reporteros to demand that it…
CPJ welcomes district court’s reversal in L.A. Times prior restraint case
New York, July 17, 2018 — U.S. District Judge John F. Walter today vacated a temporary restraining order that he had issued three days earlier prohibiting the Los Angeles Times from publishing details of a sealed plea agreement that had mistakenly been made public. The decision came in the wake of an outcry from media…