RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) considers that a “very negative picture” persists for press freedom in Brazil not least because President Jair Bolsonaro encourages “permanent aggressiveness” against journalistic activity.
This is contained in a report on Brazil presented at the IAPA’s semi-annual assembly, which opened virtually on Tuesday and will continue until Friday to analyze the main challenges for the practice of journalism in the continent.
“The intolerance and authoritarianism that characterize the government of Jair Bolsonaro continue as fundamental reasons for a very negative picture of press freedom,” begins the report on Brazil presented by IAPA.
“The president persists in the attacks on journalism, always seeking to disqualify professionals and companies in the sector and encouraging the permanent aggressiveness of sectors of society against journalistic activity,” the document adds.
As an example of the “aggressive climate of the authoritarian sectors” in Brazil against freedom of the press, it cites the attack suffered last March 17 by the newspaper Folha da Região in the city of Olimpia, in the state of São Paulo, where part of the headquarters was destroyed by arson.
The alleged perpetrator of the attack, who was identified by the police, expressed on social networks “his disagreement with the newspaper’s editorial line in defense of the social isolation measures necessary” to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
It also mentions a cyber attack against Portal Catarinas and aggressions against reporters covering public protests.
The report also cites a text of the National Federation of Journalists (FENAJ) which states that Brazil is the country with the highest number of journalists killed by covid-19, with 169 deaths from April 2020 to last March.