By Micah Jonah
March 11, 2026
A new report by the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) highlights a significant deterioration in press freedoms across the Americas, with the United States experiencing the steepest decline.
The IAPA’s latest index ranks 2025 as the lowest point for freedom of expression since the report began in 2020. According to the report, the region has faced a “dramatic deterioration” in unrestricted speech, marked by murders, arbitrary arrests, exile, and widespread impunity affecting journalists in countries such as Mexico, Honduras, Ecuador, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Cuba, and Venezuela.
The United States dropped from fourth to 11th place among 23 countries evaluated, reflecting increasing restrictions on journalists. The report cites developments under President Donald Trump, including the stigmatization of critical journalism, cuts to public media funding, and the closure of Voice of America, as key factors contributing to the decline. In 2025, 170 attacks against journalists were recorded in the US, with concerns raised about interactions with federal immigration agents.
Other countries with severely restricted press freedom include Nicaragua and Venezuela, with Venezuela ranking last at 7.02 out of 100 due to the closure of over 400 radio stations and the detention of 25 journalists following the 2024 presidential election. El Salvador also dropped in the rankings, now 21st, amid ongoing government harassment and exile of journalists under President Nayib Bukele.
The report identified eight countries as “high restriction” environments: Ecuador, Bolivia, Honduras, Peru, Mexico, Haiti, Cuba, and El Salvador, while the Dominican Republic, Chile, Canada, and Brazil were among those with the strongest protections for press freedoms.
The IAPA warns that rising restrictions and government overreach across the region threaten the ability of journalists to operate freely and safely.
