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Montevideo, October 23rd 2025 - 14:09 UTC

 

 

Press freedom under scrutiny in Chile

Thursday, October 23rd 2025 - 10:26 UTC
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IAPA and RELE called on the Chilean government to ensure the free and safe exercise of journalism IAPA and RELE called on the Chilean government to ensure the free and safe exercise of journalism

Recent international reports have painted a stark picture of press freedom in Chile, citing a marked by violence, judicial harassment, and legislative threats to investigative journalism.

The Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (RELE) of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) released a document on Wednesday identifying “recurring patterns of violence and judicial harassment” within Chile's “complex” media landscape.

The RELE urged the Chilean state to provide “priority attention” to the issue, emphasizing the need to guarantee a safe environment for reporters. Critical issues documented included against journalists by both state and non-state agents, with a “common denominator” being the “insufficiency of effective judicial clarification mechanisms” in individual cases.

The body also highlighted the use of criminal laws, such as defamation suits, against journalists, which creates a “deterrent effect incompatible with democracy.”

The RELE also mentioned a “pattern of intimidation” targeting those who investigate links between organized crime, institutional corruption, and authorities, leading to the creation of “zones of informational silence.”

Additionally, the risk of intelligence apparatus being used to illegally monitor journalists covering public interest matters -severely affecting the protection of sources- was singled out.

The survey also detected a persistent media concentration, “structural precariousness” due to economic and regulatory restrictions, and a growing digital divide.

Complementing the RELE's findings, the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA), following its 81st General Assembly, warned of significant legislative setbacks. The IAPA cited the public discussion surrounding a proposed “Gag Law 2.0” and the slow progress of a dedicated protection law for journalists as major concerns.

The controversial “Gag Law 2.0” bill, which entered discussion in June, seeks to punish the leaking of criminal proceedings and their dissemination in the media with imprisonment. The IAPA stated this move risks “criminalizing investigative journalism,” particularly when journalists publish matters of public interest without being involved in the original leak.

The IAPA also spotted a growing tendency among some courts to “impose restrictions” on publishing information about judicial proceedings, especially in corruption and money laundering cases. Courts often invoke the presumption of innocence to limit coverage, which the IAPA argues hinders the investigation of the Public Ministry.

The Miami-based organization also denounced a proposed overhaul of the lobbying law that could “hinder” journalistic work by potentially classifying any public statement as “qualified interest representation.”

Categories: Politics, Chile.
Tags: press freedom.

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