The Federation of Journalists of Latin America and the Caribbean (Federación de Periodistas de América Latina y el Caribe – FEPALC) accompanies its member-organizations in the context of the difficult situation facing the peoples of Latin America and the world in the midst of a global pandemic due to cases of coronavirus. In recent days in Latin America there have been situations that threaten the right to free exercise of journalism and the right to work that affect press workers in the region.
The most serious events have been recorded in Venezuela, where according to the complaint by the National Union of Press Workers (Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Prensa – SNTP), two arrests of journalists were reported for reporting on cases of people affected by the Covid-19 Coronavirus. The SNTP reported that journalists Darvinson Rojas and Beatriz Rodríguez were detained by Venezuelan state security forces. Rodríguez was released after being pressured to reveal her sources, while Rojas is still detained.
Furthermore, in El Salvador the Association of Journalists of El Salvador (Asociación de Periodistas del El Salvador) denounced that the government imposes restrictions on the work of journalists in the framework of the coverage of the pandemic in the mentioned country. There have also been restrictions on journalistic work by law enforcement agencies of that State, where a mandatory quarantine applies.
In Chile, in the midst of a health and economic emergency in the trans-Andean country, there have been dismissals of Radio Bío-Bío workers. Ten press workers were fired from the said station days ago. The Radio Bío-Bío trade union denounced that these events weaken “a key element for democracy, which is a strong, critical press at the service of the citizens.”
Several unions in the region have demanded companies and governments to guarantee occupational health and hygiene measures for the development of journalistic activities that were recognized as essential by the states that declared quarantine mandatory in Latin America. Likewise, the unions have instructed their members to avoid carrying out tasks without adequate protection measures.
At the same time that the health crisis is advancing on the continent, quarantine measures also have effects on the economies of the countries of the region, such as in Peru, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador and Paraguay. Several journalists and press workers have been seen affected due to the standstill of economic and social activity, being unable to continue their work due to the lack of resources from the commerce and services sector which are paralyzed. Given this situation, the National Association of Journalists of Peru (Asociación Nacional de Periodistas de Perú – ANP) and the Union of Journalists of Paraguay (Sindicato de Periodistas del Paraguay – SPP) have asked their governments to guarantee means of sustainability for those workers affected by the measures.
As FEPALC we express our support for press workers throughout the region in the context of the delicate health and economic situation that is affecting Latin America and the Caribbean and the world.
Latin America-Caribbean, 25 March 2020
Federación de Periodistas de América Latina y el Caribe (FEPALC)
Federación Nacional de Periodistas del Ecuador (FENAPE)
Federação Nacional dos Jornalistas (FENAJ)
Federación Colombiana de Periodistas (FECOLPER)
Sindicato Nacional de Periodistas de Costa Rica
Federación Nacional de Trabajadores de los Medios de Comunicación Social de Chile (FENATRAMCO)
Associations des Journalistes Haitiens (AJH)
Sindicato Nacional de Redactores de la Prensa de México (SNRP)
Sindicato de Periodistas de Panamá (SPP)
Sindicato de Periodistas del Paraguay (SPP)
Asociación Nacional de Periodistas del Perú (ANP)
Asociación de Prensa Uruguaya (APU)
Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Prensa de República Dominicana (SNTP)
Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Prensa de Venezuela (SNTP)
