World press freedom ranking: Latin America is still in debt

By Juan Pablo Álvarez

Few Latin American countries stand out for being well positioned in terms of press freedom, so only Costa Rica, Argentina, and the Dominican Republic appear in the top 50 of a ranking prepared by Reporters Without Borders, including 180 participants.

In addition, of the 18 Spanish-speaking countries plus Brazil (number 19), 13 fell in 2023 compared to 2019.

However, Brazil had a notable improvement, from 110th in 2022 to 92nd, due to the departure of Jair Bolsonaro from power.

RANKED COUNTRIES

The Latin American countries appearing in the top 100 of the 2023 press freedom ranking are:

• Costa Rica, 23rd, with 80.2 points.
• Argentina, 40th, with 73.36 points.
• The Dominican Republic, 43rd, with 71.88 points.
• Uruguay, 52nd, with 70.33 points.
• Panama, 69th, with 63.67 points.
• Ecuador, 80, with 60.51 points.
• Chile, 83, with 60.09 points.
• Brazil, 92, with 58.67 points.

The countries that appear below 100th place:

• Paraguay, 103rd, with 55.96 points.
• Peru, 110th, with 52.74 points.
• El Salvador, 115th, with 51.36 points.
• Bolivia, 117th, with 51.09 points.
• Guatemala, 127th, with 48.12 points.
• Mexico, 128th, with 47.98 points.
• Colombia, 139th, with 45.23 points.
• Nicaragua, 158th, with 37.09 points.
• Venezuela, 159th, with 36.99 points.
• Honduras, 169th, with 32.65 points.
• Cuba, 172nd, with 29 points.

It should be noted that the index prepared by Reporters Without Borders is based on a score ranging from 0 to 100 and is assigned to each country or territory, with 100 being the best possible score (the highest level of press freedom) and 0 being the worst.

This score is calculated based on two components:

• A quantitative count of abuses against the media and journalists concerning their work.
• A qualitative analysis of the situation in each country or territory based on the responses of press freedom specialists (including journalists, researchers, academics, and human rights defenders) to an RSF questionnaire available in 24 languages.

THE DIFFICULT SITUATION IN MEXICO

In 2022, Mexico experienced its deadliest year ever for the press, with at least 13 journalists killed, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

In 2022, only Ukraine surpassed that figure (15), while Haiti occupied the next place in the list of the most dangerous countries to practice journalism (7).

A Latinometrics report noted:

“Last year, Mexico was the most dangerous country in the world for the industry, with more journalists killed per capita than even war-torn states such as Ukraine and Syria.”

“One-fifth of all journalists killed worldwide were in Mexico.”

A PROBLEM IN THE REGION

Latinoametrics stressed that this statistic, which adds to a multi-year trend, is part of a broader problem in Latin America:

“Press members are increasingly being attacked, intimidated, threatened or pressured.”

“This interference can come from governments, as seen in the autocratic regimes that rule Cuba and Nicaragua.”

“For example, El Nacional, Venezuela’s historic daily newspaper, saw its offices closed under government pressure in 2018″, he argues.

REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS’ ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION IN 2023

Regarding the Reporters Without Borders index, the ranking authors noted that the situation has deteriorated in countries with less unstable political landscapes.

“The use of disinformation and propaganda, often associated with online verbal violence against journalists and the media, is becoming normalized and an integral part of political leaders’ strategy to gain greater control over the public narrative.”

Concerning this, the report’s authors add:

“Although historically well placed in the World Press Freedom Index, Costa Rica (down 15 places to 23rd), Uruguay (down eight places to 52nd), and Argentina (down 11 places to 40th) all reflect this impact of the trend on journalism.”

In addition, Reporters Without Borders reported that, among the lowest-ranked countries, “authoritarian governments continue” to reference polarization, stability, and national security “to justify all kinds of abuses against the media”.

Independent journalism has been forced underground or into exile in Nicaragua (up two places to 158th).

In Cuba (up one place to 172nd), a new penal code has allowed the government to continue intimidating and legally persecuting journalists critical of the regime.

With information from Bloomberg

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