Latin America democracy violated by killings
May 31, 2011 1:54 PM ET
Lately, we have come to expect violence against journalists in certain regions, such as the Middle East. But here at CPJ, 2011 has also been troubling for the number of journalists killed in an entirely different part of the world, the Americas. ...
For Cuban blogger Sánchez, a government 'distinction'
March 25, 2011 12:28 PM ET
Acclaimed Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez has had her share of honors lately. Last year alone, her blogging, which offers a personal and critical view of life in Cuba, was honored by the Dutch Prince Claus Fund, the International Press Institute, and the Danish Centre for Political Studies. This week,...
Mexican court rules critical documentary can be shown
March 11, 2011 4:13 PM ET
When a federal judge issued an order last week to suspend screenings of documentary that investigates incompetence in the Mexican judicial system, it looked like the film might be falling victim to the very system it criticizes. The film, "Presumed Guilty" ("Presunto Culpable" in Spanish), exposes flaws in the...
Is Chávez promoting free expression? Check the facts
February 14, 2011 2:51 PM ET
Venezuelan Information Minister Andrés Izarra declared on the state television channel VTV last week that "never has so much been done to guarantee, promote, and drive freedom of expression than in the government of President Hugo Chávez." Izarra needs to hire a fact-checker. ...
Coronell leaves Colombia again, this time for opportunity
February 9, 2011 3:43 PM ET
In 2005, a series of chilling death threats compelled award-winning Colombian journalist Daniel Coronell to leave Bogotá with his family for what ended up being a two-year stay in California. Today, more than three years after his return from exile, Coronell and his family are moving back to the...
Haitian journalist Montas levels charges against Baby Doc
January 20, 2011 4:43 PM ET
Former dictator Jean Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier is facing some blowback after breezing into Haiti last Sunday following a 25-year absence. On Wednesday, prominent Haitian journalist and former UN spokesperson Michele Montas joined three others in filing criminal complaints against the former dictator who returned to the country Sunday,...
On earthquake's anniversary, Haiti's media recovering
January 12, 2011 4:31 PM ET
One year after the devastating January 12, 2010, earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people and crippled Haiti's media infrastructure, the country's media have made significant strides toward recovery even as they face enormous ongoing challenges. ...
Fernando Garavito, man of letters, dies in exile
November 8, 2010 11:02 AM ET
It's hard to trace things to their origin. But had I not met exiled Colombian journalist Fernando Garavito in early 2004, I don't know that I would have chosen to work, professionally, as a defender of freedom of expression....
Somali editor, family make a new life in exile
March 29, 2010 11:13 AM ET
KAMPALA, Uganda As Ahmed Omar Hashi strode toward me, his figure silhouetted in the bright morning light, it was hard to believe this was the same man who left Mogadishu on a stretcher just six months earlier after suffering a near-fatal gunshot wound. As I reached to shake his...
A temporary home for exiled Ethiopian
August 12, 2008 5:47 PM ET
Merid Estifanos was still in his afternoon French class when I arrived at the Maison des Journalistes (MDJ) this afternoon to meet him. I was greeted instead by Maison's director, Philippe Spinau, who gave me the grand tour of the house that has been home to many journalists who,...