Americas

Miami, July 8, 2019–Venezuelan online and radio journalist Braulio Jatar was formally released from house arrest today after receiving official notification from a criminal court in his home state of Nueva Esparta, according to local media and a statement Jatar gave to media outlets, which was posted on the Twitter account of his sister. As…

On June 18, more than 400 people converged in Mexico City for CPJ’s Mexico Press Freedom Summit. Energized by a sense that the country is at a point of profound political change under the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the conference delved into the threats for Mexican journalists.

Since 2017, U.S. legislators and the Department of Justice have required multiple foreign-funded news organizations to register under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA), a law designed to compel transparency from agents of foreign entities operating inside the United States, according to news reports, public records, and letters from the Department of Justice.

In the early morning of June 23, 2019, a small improvised bomb exploded at the home of Brazilian radio reporter Francisco José Jorge de Sousa in Ipu, Ceará state, the journalist told CPJ via phone. No one was injured in the explosion, de Sousa said.

Since May 7, 2019, the Venezuelan Bolivarian National Guard has blocked journalists from accessing the National Assembly, the country’s legislature, during the body’s debates and activities held every Tuesday, according to news reports and local rights organizations.

New York, June 24, 2019 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern over a U.S. Supreme Court decision that restricts journalists’ access to government records.

São Paulo, June 20, 2019 — Authorities in the Brazilian town of Maricá, in Rio de Janeiro state, must thoroughly investigate the killing of journalist Romário Barros and determine whether the attack was tied to his journalism, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

The Trump administration’s decision to charge Julian Assange with 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act has generated significant controversy. One legal expert described it as “crossing a “constitutional Rubicon.” CPJ warned that the indictment could be the opening salvo in a broader attack on First Amendment journalistic protections. The 18th charge against Assange–of violating…

São Paulo, June 18, 2019–The founder, editor, and other members of the The Intercept Brasil staff said they have received threats on email and social media following their publication of politically sensitive stories this month.