In the last 20 years, 670 journalists have been killed in Latin America and the Caribbean, [1] according to delegates from the IFEX-ACL alliance, which recently presented their Annual Report on Impunity 2013: “Faces and Traces of Freedom of Expression in Latin America and the Caribbean [2].” [3]The crimes — most of which remain unsolved — have turned impunity into the biggest threat to freedom of expression in the region.
Silvia Higuera summarizes the report in the Knight Center's Journalism in the Americas Blog. [4] She adds:
According to the report, Latin America is going through a crucial moment for freedom of expression. Depending on the place, journalists face threats from criminal groups or institutional weaknesses. Many countries are also going through controversial legal processes that could limit freedom of the press. Public officials continue to use defamation lawsuits to silence the press, and historically vulnerable sectors — like indigenous groups — remain unable to participate openly in public interest issues.