The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the violent situation in Central America - one of the regions with the most murders of journalists. Nine journalists have lost their lives so far in 2016 as a consequence of organized crime and the complicity or indifference of the authorities: five in Guatemala, three in Honduras and one in El Salvador. ‘This scenario has developed in a context of constant intimidation against those who have a duty to inform’, said the president of the IFJ, Philippe Leruth. ‘Each time a journalist is killed performing their duty to inform, a part of democracy is severely damaged. Many times a link exists between the murders committed and the interests of economic and political groups, which are seriously affected by the activity of journalists, who often act as an antibody for society against injustices.’ Read the full article in Spanish here.
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The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 140 countries