Press under pressure: Supporting media freedom in Latin America
Journalists in Peru take part in a training session on the fight against disinformation in electoral contexts, as part of a course on journalism and politics organized by International IDEA, the Gustavo Mohme Llona Foundation and the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. Credit: International IDEA/Jairo Reategui
The year 2025 marked a decline in press freedom, as highlighted in International IDEA’s Global State of Democracy report. Across Latin America, the Institute collaborated with journalists, fact-checkers, civil society organizations, digital platforms and electoral authorities to strengthen efforts to counter disinformation and gender‑based digital political violence.
This initiative was carried out in Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay. Building on long-standing work with journalist networks in countries such as Peru, International IDEA expanded its target audience in 2025 by engaging independent and non‑traditional media outlets in Central America.
International IDEA also raised the alarm about the situation facing journalists in countries experiencing clear democratic backsliding, such as El Salvador, Nicaragua and Venezuela, where running a free press is becoming increasingly difficult.
Project: Strengthening Electoral Integrity Ecosystems to Protect Democracies in Latin America
Funding: Spain (AECID)
Project: Improving the Resilience of Democracy in Central America and Consolidation of Peruvian Democracy
Funding: Luxembourg and European Union
The exchange of perspectives, experiences and information generated during the regional meeting organized by International IDEA and the Training Centre of Spanish Cooperation was immensely valuable and inspiring. The encounter renewed my motivation to continue advancing the anti‑disinformation project we are leading at Mexico’s National Electoral Institute.
| Funding | Spain (AECID) Luxembourg and European Union |
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