Bolivian journalists abducted, assaulted by armed men while covering land dispute
Bogotá, November 4, 2021 – Bolivian authorities must conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the abduction and assault of six journalists by a group of armed men and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 28, seven reporters, photographers, and camera operators for several Bolivian media outlets…
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,…
Bolivian radio journalist Franklin Guzmán Zambrana assaulted, robbed while covering protest
Bogotá, April 5, 2021 – Bolivian authorities must thoroughly investigate the attack on journalist Franklin Guzmán Zambrana and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On March 30, near the village of Santa Bárbara, about five miles northeast of the capital, La Paz, a group of truck drivers abducted, assaulted,…
Physical Safety: Covering wildfires
Wildfires are becoming more frequent across the world and increasing in both severity and extent, according to Science Brief, a website that reviews peer-reviewed scientific studies on various topics, including climate change. Media workers covering any wildfire should be aware of the dynamic nature of such a disaster, and how a rapidly evolving situation on…
Bolivian photojournalist David Sapiencia attacked by protesters
Bogotá, August 11, 2020 – Bolivian authorities should quickly and thoroughly investigate the attack on journalist David Sapiencia, identify those responsible, and hold them to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On August 5, about two dozen protesters in the central Bolivian town of Mairana attacked Sapiencia, a freelance photojournalist, according to news…
Protesters assault Bolivian journalists from Unitel TV and El Deber
Bogotá, June 16, 2020 – Bolivian authorities’ investigation into attacks on journalists from Unitel TV and El Deber should be thorough and transparent, and those responsible should be held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 11, a crowd of about 50 protesters in the central Bolivian town of Entre Ríos…
Bolivian journalist takes leave of absence citing government intimidation
On June 3, 2020, Junior Arias, host of the news program “Behind the Truth” on the privately owned broadcaster Gigavisión, announced on-air that he was stepping down from his job, saying he felt threatened by the Bolivian government’s response to his work and would take a temporary furlough for his safety. On May 31, Arias…
Bolivian decree broadens criminal sanctions for disinformation on COVID-19
Editors’ Note: On May 14, after CPJ published this article, the Bolivian representative to the Organization of American States announced that the government had issued a new decree eliminating the language that CPJ objected to in Decree 4231, and two other passages that had raised freedom of expression concerns, according to news reports and a…
Bolivia enacts decree criminalizing ‘disinformation’ on COVID-19 outbreak
Bogotá, April 9, 2020 — Bolivian authorities should reform the country’s lockdown decree to ensure that journalists cannot face jail time for reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.