NGOs point out human rights violations in El Salvador 1:42
(CNN Spanish) ––
In commemoration of World Press Freedom Day, the Association of Journalists of El Salvador presented a report on Tuesday that sets out "a description of the different restrictions on the exercise of journalism" in the country in 2021, and "its comparison with 2019 and 2020."
The association's document concludes that in El Salvador the journalistic exercise is considered high risk.
Also that in 2021 the attacks and threats come from State agents, that the government has not created a mechanism to protect journalists, that access to public information is less and less and that there has been a regression in terms of freedom of expression.
It highlights that during the government of President Nayib Bukele "a campaign directed from the presidency of constant disqualification and stigmatization has been noted, mainly against independent journalists, media outlets with critical editorial lines, or media outlets that reveal investigations into abuses of authority, nepotism, mismanagement of the state of emergency, corruption, among other issues of high public interest.
And he points out that “the hostile environment for the work of the press, which would be promoted in large part by government spheres,” has intensified during the covid-19 pandemic.
“The physical attacks, the threats and intimidation, and the obstruction of information work become worrying,” reads the report.
Since assuming the presidency in June 2019, Bukele has been critical of the independent press and labels journalists as political activists during press conferences or on his social networks.
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CNN requested comments on this report from the government through the Ministry of Communications, but we have not received a response so far.
The document collects testimonies and documents from numerous journalists.
It also reviews the situation of this trade in that country during various governments, from 2004 to the current one with Nayib Bukele.
Much of the information is concentrated in the year 2021, compiling what has been denounced by international organizations such as Human Rights Watch and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
It places special emphasis on the reform of the Law Against Computer and Related Crimes approved by the Legislative Assembly at the end of last year and that includes penalties with prison sentences for actions such as obtaining confidential information, identity theft and fraud.
The work stems from the Project "For press freedom, access to information and democracy in El Salvador" which, as indicated, was financed by the European Union and executed by the association between the Central American University "José Simeón Cañas ” (UCA), the International Federation of Journalists (FIP), the Assembly of Cooperation for Peace (ACPP) and the Association of Journalists of El Salvador (APES).
World Press Freedom Daypress freedom