International
Journalists in Latin America lack protection due to weak laws and few resources
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) criticized on Tuesday that journalists in Latin America lack protection due to “weak” legal frameworks and “insufficient” resources from States to guarantee the safety of media professionals.
That is why the biggest challenge for the region is to turn the protection of journalists into a “political priority,” says RSF in its report ‘Protection mechanisms in Latin America: how to strengthen this fragile shield for journalists’.
The organization recalls that 338 journalists have been murdered in Latin America since 2000.
The “systematic violence” they suffer translates into deaths, threats, arrests and persecutions by involving themselves in the denunciation of cases of corruption, organized crime and abuse of power.
The countries analyzed: Guatemala, Ecuador and Peru
RSF analyzes the situation of countries that have recently implemented mechanisms to strengthen the safety of journalists (Guatemala, Ecuador and Peru) and those that are in the process of approving measures of this type (Chile and Paraguay).
In Peru, the allocated budget does not grow at the same rate as requests for protection by journalists, whose situation has worsened due to the political and social crisis in the Andean country.
In just two years, these demands have multiplied by six (247 in 2023, compared to 40 in 2021), while the budget has only increased by 40% in the same period.
RSF criticizes Guatemala’s limited action to protect journalists, accentuated by the lack of parliamentary support of the current president, Bernardo Arévalo, which makes it even more difficult to approve specific and effective mechanisms.
In Ecuador, the state of emergency declared by its president, Daniel Noboa, after a wave of unprecedented violence has worsened the economic, technical and institutional endowment of the Interinstitutional Committee for the Protection of Journalists, which is currently trying to get support from embassies and associations.
Projects for the protection of journalists in Chile and Paraguay
With regard to the draft new legislation, the Chilean Senate has received the draft of a new protection law for journalists and media, a text that RSF considers devoid of detail in terms of budget and legal framework.
“It does not explicitly mention any department, agency or institution that is held responsible,” he highlights in his report.
In Paraguay, another protection law is also pending ratification by the Senate since April 2023. It is a text that provides for the formation of an independent committee that has the highest authority to evaluate the situation.
According to RSF, the current conservative majority in the Upper House of Paraguay is an obstacle to maintaining the main provisions of the law that journalists are trying to maintain based on political support.
International
Mexico, Brazil and Colombia left out of Trump’s “Shield of the Americas” summit
Left-wing governments in Latin America, including Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, were excluded from the “Shield of the Americas” summit convened by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The meeting, held in Miami, Florida, brought together 12 presidents from across the continent to discuss strategies to combat drug cartels and organized crime.
In Mexico’s case, President Claudia Sheinbaum had recently rejected the use of military force as a solution to the drug trafficking problem. She has argued that her administration’s security strategy is producing results and emphasized that force alone is not the answer.
During the summit, Trump said that most narcotics entering the United States come through Mexico and referred to his previous conversations with Sheinbaum on the issue.
“I like the president very much, she’s a very good person,” Trump said. “But I told her: ‘Let me eradicate the cartels.’ And she said, ‘No, no, no, please, president.’ We have to eradicate them. We have to finish them.”
The remarks highlighted ongoing differences between Washington and Mexico over how to confront drug trafficking networks operating across the region.
International
Trump announces 17-nation alliance in the Americas to “destroy” drug cartels
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday the creation of a 17-nation alliance across the Americas aimed at dismantling drug cartels, during a regional summit held at his golf club in Doral.
Speaking to a group of allied leaders at the Shield of the Americas Summit, Trump said the initiative would rely on military force to eliminate powerful criminal networks operating throughout the hemisphere.
“The heart of our agreement is the commitment to use lethal military force to destroy these sinister cartels and terrorist networks. Once and for all, we will put an end to them,” Trump told the assembled heads of state.
The Republican leader argued that large portions of territory in the Western Hemisphere have fallen under the control of transnational gangs and pledged U.S. support to governments seeking to confront them. He even suggested the potential use of highly precise missiles against cartel leaders.
Before making the announcement, Trump greeted the roughly twelve leaders attending the summit, including close allies such as Javier Milei, Daniel Noboa and Nayib Bukele, whom he described as a “great president.”
The meeting forms part of Trump’s broader regional strategy inspired by his reinterpretation of the Monroe Doctrine, which seeks to reinforce Washington’s influence in the Americas, strengthen security cooperation and counter the growing presence of powers such as China.
Trump pointed to recent U.S. actions in the region as examples of his administration’s approach, including the operation that led to the capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.
The summit also takes place amid escalating international tensions following the conflict launched last week by the United States and Israel against Iran.
International
Trump replaces Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday the departure of Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security, one of the key architects of the administration’s policy of deporting undocumented immigrants.
Noem, who has been assigned a new role as a “special envoy” to Latin America, will be replaced starting March 31 by Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin, the president said in a message posted on his social media platform Truth Social.
According to media reports, Trump made the decision after Noem’s recent hearings in Congress, during which she faced tough questions regarding the awarding of a major public contract.
Mexico, Brazil and Colombia left out of Trump’s “Shield of the Americas” summit
Trump announces 17-nation alliance in the Americas to “destroy” drug cartels
Trump replaces Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International5 days agoClaudia Sheinbaum: Operation Against ‘El Mencho’ Was Based on Pending Arrest Warrants
-
International5 days agoWhite House Says Spain Agrees to Cooperate with U.S. Military After Trump Threatens Trade Embargo
-
International5 days agoSpain Denies Any Agreement to Cooperate with U.S. Military in Iran Operations
-
Central America5 days agoNicaragua Held Responsible for Harassment of Opposition Prosecutor and His Family
-
International2 days agoTrump announces 17-nation alliance in the Americas to “destroy” drug cartels
-
International3 days agoYoung Woman Will Represent Mexico at 2026 World Cup Opener, Says President Sheinbaum
-
International23 hours ago
Mexico, Brazil and Colombia left out of Trump’s “Shield of the Americas” summit
-
International3 days agoTrump replaces Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem with Senator Markwayne Mullin