SIP Criticizes Pressure on Paraguayan Media, Cites 'Selective Persecution'

The Inter American Press Association (SIP) has issued a stark warning regarding the state of freedom of expression in Paraguay, detailing a worrying deterioration in the media environment. In its Mid-Year Meeting report, the SIP highlighted a significant increase in attacks, threats, and pressures directed at journalists and media organizations. This troubling trend occurs against a backdrop of widespread corruption allegations, persistent questions about judicial independence, and growing restrictions on access to public information, painting a grim picture of institutional transparency.

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the country went through a complicated scenario in a context characterized by corruption allegations, questions about judicial independence, and restrictions on access to public information.

According to the SIP's findings, a climate of hostility towards journalism has intensified. President Peña's public criticisms of journalists and media outlets, coupled with actions by public officials—such as limiting access to information sources, restricting questioning at official events, and engaging in public disqualifications—have drawn strong rebukes from the Paraguayan Journalists Union. These actions collectively contribute to an adverse environment for press freedom and the public's right to information.

Of particular concern is the pattern of judicial and administrative pressures targeting entities linked to critical media. The report specifically points to the ongoing legal proceedings against Banco Atlas, which faces investigations for alleged money laundering connected to contracts with the late CONMEBOL president Nicolás Leoz. The defense has characterized this as selective persecution, especially given the bank's financial ties to the business group that owns ABC Color, our publication. This situation raises serious questions about the impartiality of the justice system and its potential use as a tool to silence dissenting voices.

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(...) a climate of growing hostility towards the exercise of journalism has been consolidated. President Peña's expressions against critical journalists and media, as well as various actions by public officials — including restrictions on access to sources, limitations on asking questions at official events, and public disqualifications — motivated pronouncements by the Paraguayan Journalists Union, which denounced an adverse environment for freedom of the press and the exercise of the right to information.

Beyond the direct pressures on the media, the SIP report also touches upon broader social unrest. The government has faced significant challenges, including mass mobilizations by teacher unions protesting fiscal reforms and public outrage over "VIP pensions" for parliamentarians. These events, alongside protests against alleged corruption in indigenous affairs, underscore a period of intense social and political pressure. At ABC Color, we believe that a free and independent press is vital for a healthy democracy, and we stand firm in denouncing any attempts to undermine journalistic work or restrict the public's access to information.

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judicial and administrative pressure patterns against actors linked to critical media were also identified. The process initiated against Banco Atlas, within the framework of investigations for alleged money laundering linked to contracts with the late CONMEBOL president Nicolás Leoz, was pointed out by the defense as a case of selective persecution, as the financial entity maintains links with the business group that owns the newspaper ABC Color.