In a July 8 hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), representatives of 25 civil society organizations—including Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights—detailed how some repressive Latin American regimes are attempting to suppress political opposition and censor criticism, according to LatAm Journalism Review. According to the representatives, state strategies to dismantle rule of law include undermining civic participation, amplifying propaganda through public media systems, and strengthening surveillance mechanisms, including Pegasus spyware, to silence critical voices. 

But a new protocol discussed during the hearing could better protect freedom of expression in the region by reducing the spread of misinformation and setting clearer obligations for public officials. “This initiative can have a preventive effect in a context in which a parallel is already evident between the increase in physical violence against journalists and the hostile environment promoted by official stigmatization,” said Sofía Jaramillo of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. Read the full article in LatAm Journalism Review.