The Association of Journalists of El Salvador (APES) condemned this Monday what it called “the increase in persecution and censorship of which journalists in El Salvador are victims” by the government of President Nayib Bukele and demanded the immediate cessation of attacks by the government against the critical press. The Apes claims to have registered 385 attacks against journalists and the media.
Among the most serious cases of its complaint, the Apes points out the imprisonment of Víctor Barahona, a community journalist who was in prison, accused of the crime of illegal groups. Barahona had an interview program in which his guests had questioned the policies of the current government.
Angelica Cárcamo, president of Apes, explained that six out of ten attacks against journalists are committed by institutions and people related to the government: police, military, deputies, ministers and even the president himself.
For his part, Gabriel Labrador, Apes rapporteur, explained that one of the patterns is that police officers and soldiers arbitrarily detain photographers and reporters and threaten them to delete material if they are not prosecuted by the emergency regime.
Another of the patterns is the narrative of criminalization of journalists who are profiled as defenders of criminals on social networks.