Americas

  
Alerts
Police officers are seen in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 10, 2020. Radio journalist Fábio Márcio recently survived a shooting attempt in Piritiba. (Reuters/Ricardo Moraes)

Brazilian radio journalist Fábio Márcio survives shooting attempt

Rio de Janeiro, May 12, 2020 — Brazilian authorities must thoroughly investigate the recent shooting attack against radio journalist Fábio Márcio and hold the perpetrators to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

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Statements
A U.S. Department of Homeland Security officer checks passports in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on March 15, 2020. The department recently imposed new restrictions on Chinese nationals working as journalists in the United States. (Reuters/Teresa Barbieri)

U.S. imposes new visa restrictions on Chinese journalists in retaliatory measure

Washington, D.C., May 11, 2020 — In response to new visa restrictions imposed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security against Chinese nationals working as journalists in the United States, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement:

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Case
Police are seen in La Paz, Bolivia, on April 5, 2020. Bolivian cartoonist Abel Bellido Córdoba recently received death threats for his work. (Reutesr/David Mercado)

Bolivian cartoonist Abel Bellido Córdoba receives death threats

Since April 5, 2020, multiple Facebook users have sent death threats to Bolivian cartoonist Abel Bellido Córdoba, he told CPJ in a phone interview.

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Alerts
A soldier is seen in Asuncion, Paraguay, on April 22, 2020. Two Paraguayan journalists were recently targeted by hackers who stole information from their phones. (AP/Jorge Saenz)

Hackers steal information from 2 journalists covering COVID-19 and corruption in Paraguay

Miami, May 6, 2020 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today commended the swift actions by Paraguayan authorities to investigate the hacking of journalists Juan Clari Arias and Jorge Torres’ phones, and urged them to see the investigation to its conclusion and hold those responsible to account.

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Features & Analysis
A protester holds a national flag during a demonstration against President Daniel Ortega's government in Managua, Nicaragua, on February 25, 2020. YouTube has censored independent Nicaraguan news outlets after copyright complaints from Ortega-owned media. (Reuters/Oswaldo Rivas)

YouTube censors independent Nicaraguan news outlets after copyright complaints from Ortega-owned media

Miguel Mora, director of the independent Nicaraguan news outlet 100% Noticias, oversaw its move online after its television broadcast license was revoked by the government in April 2018. He and his colleagues transferred their archives onto two YouTube accounts and used them to continue documenting the government’s repressive response to escalating protests in the months…

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Features & Analysis
Colombian police officers are seen in Soacha, near Bogota, on March 31, 2020. CPJ recently joined a letter calling on the Colombian government to strengthen protections for journalists amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (AFP/Raul Arboleda)

CPJ joins letter calling on Colombia to strengthen protections for journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists on May 4 joined more than 100 civil society organizations in an open letter calling on Colombia’s National Protection Unit to adopt measures to ensure the safety of journalists and other human rights defenders under increased threat due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Features & Analysis
Two Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers leave the Nova Scotia RCMP Headquarters in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, on April 20. Journalists in the province have struggled to cover a mass shooting due to COVID-19 containment measures. (Reuters/John Morris)

Halifax Examiner’s Tim Bousquet on covering a mass shooting in a pandemic

When news broke that a gunman had killed at least 22 people in Nova Scotia on April 18 and 19, the Halifax Examiner, a small independent local news website, began piecing together how the deadliest mass shooting in Canada’s history had occurred.

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Letters

CPJ sends letter calling on Puerto Rico governor to respect press freedom

CPJ writes to the Puerto Rican governor to express concern about a recent amendment to the island’s public security law.

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Case
A police officer is seen in Mexico City on April 25, 2020. The Mexican Interior Secretariat recently threatened two news companies over their coronavirus coverage. (AP/Fernando Llano)

Mexican government threatens outlets over COVID-19 coverage

On two occasions in April 2020, the Mexican federal Interior Secretariat issued warnings to news outlets over their coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and threatened to file administrative sanctions against them.

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Features & Analysis
A banner reading “300,000 cases in the world, 15,000 deaths because of coronavirus! Stay at home and save lives!” hangs at the Cidade de Deus favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 7, 2020, during the COVID-19 outbreak. Rio’s community journalists face daily challenges informing favela residents about COVID-19. (AFP/Mauro Pimentel)

In Brazil, Rio’s community journalists face daily challenges informing favela residents about COVID-19

Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Gizele Martins and Raull Santiago—community journalists from Rio de Janeiro’s favelas—worked to bring accurate news and information to the local population and to give visibility to their struggles. Their organizations are among dozens of media groups founded by residents of Rio’s favelas and other marginalized areas aiming to challenge stereotypes,…

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