Cuba repeats as the worst Latin American country in terms of press freedom

Cuba is the worst Latin American country in terms of press freedom, in 168th place in the edition of the World Press Freedom Index 2024, performed by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Cuba is the Latin American country worst placed on the list, in position 168.

Then there are Nicaragua (163rd) and Venezuela (156th). According to RSF, in these three countries journalism is subject to censorship based on arbitrary decisions, which can take the form of arbitrary arrests, suspensions of broadcasting or administrative obstacles.

In Guatemala (138th), the criminalization of journalists and the imprisonment of Jose Rubén Zamora attest to the serious threats that journalism has faced in recent years, he details.

This worrying panorama is framed in a regional context where more than half of the countries experience a deterioration in press freedom, mainly due to the fall of the political indicator, the report states.

In a scenario where political leaders increasingly stigmatize journalists and media in their speeches, disinformation campaigns, abusive judicial actions and state propaganda are added, generating distrust and favoring polarization, he says.

It highlights that these circumstances, together with unpunished physical attacks against journalists, are fostering a climate of self-censorship in South and Central America.

The United States also fell ten places in the ranking and faces growing distrust of the media, exacerbated by the hostility of some political leaders who even suggest the imprisonment of journalists.

For its part, Argentina, under the presidency of Javier Milei, sees its pluralism affected due to an aggressive stance towards journalism, while in Peru the conditions for carrying out this work deteriorate with an opaque political system.

In Ecuador, the political crisis and organized crime affect democratic functioning, while in Mexico violence against reporters persists, being the country with the highest number of murders in the last decade.

RSF highlights improvements such as the case of Chile, which advances 31 places thanks to government measures to strengthen press freedom.

Brazil also shows progress with the government of Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva in normalizing relations with the press, after tensions during the mandate of Jair Bolsonaro; and Costa Rica, previously noted for its freedom of the press, faces tensions between the government and the media.

Canada stands as the best performing country in the Americas, although it faces economic challenges in its media industry.

For several years Cuba tops the list of the country with the least freedom of the press in Latin America.

An example of the repression of the press in the Caribbean nation occurred this week with the arrest of José Luis Tan Estrada, a young independent journalist who was imprisoned by State Security in its headquarters, known as Villa Marista.