SAN SALVADOR. – Reporters Without Borders (RSF) warned of the deterioration of press freedom in El Salvador. RFI and seven other human rights organizations issued a statement after monitoring the February 4 presidential elections in which Nayid Bukele was re-elected.
According to Artur Romeu, director of the RSF Office in Latin America, “the numerous obstacles to the work of female journalists during the presidential elections reflect the serious deterioration of the freedom of the press in El Salvador and illustrate the climate of restrictions and intimidation imposed by the government of Nayib Bukele since his first mandate.”
They also denounce that in the country there is a lack of access to information about the functioning of the government and its decision-making process, in addition to stigmatizing speeches by information professionals, and defamation campaigns.
In this sense, Artur Romeu pointed out that “journalists and their sources are increasingly resorting to self-censorship in this toxic environment. This cannot continue! RSF and its allied organizations ask national authorities to guarantee the protection of the right to information”.
In the information released on February 9, Reporters Without Borders noted that “there were at least 80 violations of press freedom. National authorities must put a stop to this drift and reestablish a genuine right to information.”
After the observation mission in recent electionsRFI and allied organizations urged the national, judicial and legislative authorities of El Salvador “to respect and protect freedom of the press.”
They ask for conditions in El Salvador
In the statement, RSF and the organizations also request the establishment of favorable and safe conditions “in the long term to guarantee the free exercise of journalistic work.”
At the same time, they call on the international community “to position itself and adopt a critical and constructive stance on what is happening in The Saviorfulfilling its duty to promote human rights”.
The Association of Journalists of El Salvador (APES) has denounced the increase in attacks on journalists. In 2023, the APES Monitoring Center for Attacks on Journalists documented 311 attacks. This represented a significant increase compared to 2022, when 147 were registered.
The attacks, for the most part, came from “deputies from the ruling party” in Congress and from “soldiers, police and state media.”
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Source: Reporters Without Borders (RSF)/ Diario Las Américas
