Latin America was the region with the most murders of press professionals in 2022

Latin America was the most dangerous region for journalists in 2022, according to the NGO Campaña Emblema de Prensa (PEC), which recorded 40 murders of media workers in those countries, 34% of which occurred throughout the world. world.

According to the annual data from PEC, which advocates greater protection for information professionals, Mexico was the country with the second most murders in the world, 17, most of which were targets of criminal gangs in a climate of “violence and impunity”.

With nine murders, Haiti was the third country in the world with the most victims.

In the rest of the Latin American region there were also murders of journalists in Colombia (4), Honduras (3), Brazil and Ecuador (2 in each), Chile, Guatemala and Paraguay (one in each).

116 journalists assassinated in 2022

Globally, 116 media workers were murdered in 29 different countries, 46% more than in 2021 and the highest figure since 2018, according to PEC data, which recalled that in the last decade there have been 1,107 journalists were murdered, an average of more than two a week.

Ukraine was the most dangerous country for media professionals in 2022, with 34 journalists killed, although this statistic includes 14 who lost their lives as combatants of the Ukrainian army (another 12 died in bombings).

Most of those killed in Ukraine were local journalists, but eight foreigners, including three Russian nationals, were also killed.

The president of PEC, Blaise Lempen, highlighted a few weeks ago the “brutal deterioration” of the situation for journalists in Europe -the worst on the continent since the Yugoslav wars-, largely because of the outbreak of the war.

PEC condemned all the attacks and called for those responsible for these crimes to be brought to justice immediately.

Source: EFE