A press freedom crisis unfolds in Latin America
As the number of journalists imprisoned globally for their work climbs to record highs, cases of those behind bars in Latin America remained relatively low. A total of six – three in Cuba, two in Nicaragua and one in Brazil – were in custody for their work as of December 1, according to the Committee…
Killers of journalists still get away with murder
No one has been held to account in 81% of journalist murders during the last 10 years, CPJ’s 2021 Global Impunity Index has found. By Jennifer Dunham/CPJ Deputy Editorial Director Published October 28, 2021 Somalia remains the world’s worst country for unsolved killings of journalists, according to CPJ’s annual Global Impunity Index, which spotlights countries…
São Paulo police arrest Brazilian sports blogger Paulo Cezar de Andrade Prado in defamation case
New York, September 29, 2021 — Brazilian authorities should release sports blogger Paulo Cezar de Andrade Prado and stop using defamation laws to harass and imprison journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday morning, São Paulo state civil police officers arrested Prado, who covers sports and politics on his blog Blog do Paulinho,…
Brazilian journalist Jackson Silva survives shooting
Rio de Janeiro, July 19, 2021 – Brazilian authorities should promptly and thoroughly investigate the shooting of journalist Jackson Silva, ensure his safety, and guarantee that reporters can work without fear, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At about 9 p.m. on July 9, in the city of Moju in the northern state of…
Brazilian president’s lawyer sends threatening message to UOL journalist Juliana Dal Piva
Rio de Janeiro, July 13, 2021 – Brazilian officials and their representatives should refrain from harassing members of the press who cover them and Brazilian authorities should ensure reporters can do their work without reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On July 9, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s personal lawyer Frederick Wassef sent a lengthy…
In five Latin American countries, COVID-19 responses restrict press freedom, CPJ, TrustLaw find
In Bolivia, Brazil, El Salvador, and Peru, emergency measures in response to COVID-19 restricted the media’s capacity to report freely and the public’s ability to access information, including critical information about public health interventions and the pandemic itself, a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists and Thomson Reuters Foundation’s TrustLaw program found. The report,…
Police investigate The Intercept Brasil editor Leandro Demori over reporting on police killings
Rio de Janeiro, June 21, 2021 – Authorities in Rio de Janeiro should immediately drop a criminal investigation into journalist Leandro Demori, and stop using the threat of criminal charges to intimidate journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 12, the Rio de Janeiro Civil Police Unit for Repression of Cyber Crimes…
Brazilian Supreme Court rules in favor of photojournalist Alex Silveira, injured by police while covering protest in 2000
Rio de Janeiro, June 15, 2021 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today welcomed a Brazilian Supreme Court ruling requiring São Paulo state to compensate photojournalist Alex Silveira for an injury inflicted by police officers. On May 18, 2000, Military Police officers shot Silveira, then a photojournalist at the São Paulo daily newspaper Agora, in…
Brazilian media outlet that covers women’s rights targeted with DDoS attack
Between March 26 and April 2, 2021, unidentified internet users orchestrated distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on Portal Catarinas, an online media outlet specializing in gender, feminism, and human rights, according to Paula Guimarães, the portal’s executive director and a report by the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (ABRAJI). The attacks flooded the site with traffic…
Brazilian journalist Diego Santos receives envelope with threat and bullets
Rio de Janeiro, April 8, 2021 – Brazilian authorities should promptly and thoroughly investigate the threat made to journalist Diego Santos and ensure his safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On the morning of April 1, Santos checked the mailbox outside his home in the city of Boa Vista, the capital of the…