LOS ANGELES: Freedom of the press in Latin America faces threats from government attempts at control in Venezuela and Ecuador and threats against journalists in Colombia, a media association said Thursday.
Other problems facing the media include violence in countries such as Mexico, and restrictive laws against the press in others, the Inter-American Press Association said.
The group, meeting in San Diego, California, said in its report that Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez was pursuing efforts to control the media and "we see the government's interest in becoming a hegemony communication channel."
The report said the Caracas government is at "war" with the press and has the ultimate goal of controlling digital media.
In Ecuador, the report cited a key threat in a May 7 referendum called by President Rafael Correa that would allow him to become "a regulator and controller of media content" and ban media owners from other economic interests purportedly to prevent conflicts of interest."
In Mexico, the report said journalists continue to die in "narco-violence" and reserved judgment on an agreement among 61 news organizations and others on guidelines for covering the war on drug cartels.
The press association said death threats against journalists were on the rise in Colombia and denounced a "lack of action" by authorities to protect them.
Death threats are a "worrying phenomenon because they have been growing again in recent months," the report said, citing data from the Committee to Protect Journalists and other organizations.
"The lack of action by the prosecutors in the investigation of these events has led to an impunity that will undoubtedly become the main factor for the increasing threats," the report said.
The report also criticized Argentina for failing to intervene in a protest that halted distribution of newspapers last month. And it said Cuba maintains its efforts to curb any journalists not affiliated with the Communist regime.
Comments
Comments are closed.