Sergio Arauz, president of the Association of Journalists of El Salvador (APES). SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — El Salvador’s press endured an alarming surge of hostility in 2024, with nearly 800 documented attacks ranging from censorship to physical aggression—marking what media advocates call one of the darkest years for journalistic freedom since the country’s civil conflict era.
The Association of Journalists of El Salvador (APES) reported 789 assaults against journalists and media outlets, citing both the volume and severity of violations as evidence of a mounting crisis.
“This year stands as one of the most critical for press freedom,” the organization stated in its annual report.
APES detailed increased restrictions, intimidation, and harassment throughout the year, including information blackouts, smear campaigns, digital harassment, and limited access to public records.
“These patterns represent a troubling erosion of fundamental rights that sustain a free press and an informed citizenry,” the report warned.
The Association of Journalists of El Salvador noted that 467 of the cases arose from regular monitoring activities, while 322 were tied to the electoral cycle.
The most common abuses included restrictions on journalistic work (254 cases), stigmatizing statements (113), blocked access to information (93), digital harassment (82), and intimidation (53).
Additional reports logged 29 cases of harassment, 28 defamation incidents, 15 instances of arbitrary detention, 13 legal threats, 11 direct threats, and eight cases of physical assault.
“During the state of exception, the confiscation of equipment from colleagues who go to the interior of the country to cover news has become normal. This can clearly lead to self-censorship,” said Sergio Arauz, president of the Association of Journalists of El Salvador (APES).
APES noted that some aggressions had reached a severity not witnessed since the end of the military dictatorship and civil war.
Particularly concerning were documented intimidations originating from state institutions, including the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), as well as acts of digital violence, arbitrary arrests, judicial harassment, and the imposition of restrictive “gag law” reforms.
Media outlets and journalists also faced multi-million-dollar lawsuits and legal proceedings that allegedly violated minimum due process guarantees.
APES issued an urgent appeal for authorities to uphold and protect press freedom, end stigmatizing rhetoric against journalists, and foster conditions allowing reporters to work without fear of reprisal.
Reporters Without Borders ranked El Salvador 135th globally in its 2025 World Press Freedom Index, marking a 61-place drop since 2020. The Paris-based organization cited authorities’ ongoing campaign of propaganda and harassment against critical media outlets.
