Chile: Josefa Barraza Faces Libel Charges from Former Congresswoman
If convicted, the journalist could potentially be sentenced to 3 years in prison
Location: Chile, SantiagoDate: April 22, 2024
Women Press Freedom expresses unwavering support for Josefa Barraza — the director of the independent news website El Ciudadano — who is being sued by former congresswoman Andrea Molina for libel. The ex-legislator is pushing for the journalist's imprisonment following her reporting on Molina's new role in the municipality of La Reina. The allegations against Barraza are disproportionate and reflect a broader pattern of using defamation laws to silence dissent and critical journalism. In a country that is set to host the World Press Freedom Day conference, such actions against the press starkly contradict the spirit of this significant event. This misuse of the legal system is a direct attack on the principles of transparency and accountability. We call upon the Chilean authorities to dismiss the charges against Josefa Barraza immediately. We urge for a reaffirmation of Chile’s commitment to press freedom and for the establishment of a more protective environment for journalists, allowing them to perform their essential role without fear of reprisal or censorship.
On Monday, April 22, Barraza faced the initial hearing of a lawsuit unjustly filed against her in Santiago by former congresswoman Andrea Molina. This baseless legal complaint accuses Barraza of libel in her coverage of Molina's new role in the municipality of La Reina.
On September 6, 2017, Molina was among over 40 parliamentarians identified by journalists for soliciting advisory reports that contained verbatim paragraphs copied from websites or books without attribution to the original authors.
The former legislator seeks to impose imprisonment as punishment for Barraza's diligent journalism. In Chile, defamation is criminalized, carrying the threat of imprisonment for up to 1 to 3 years as per the country's criminal code.
With Chile set to host this year's World Press Freedom Day conference in Santiago, it is disheartening to witness the unjust persecution of a journalist for fulfilling her public duty, alongside facing spurious defamation charges.
Barraza, an accomplished investigative journalist with a track record spanning over five years, is widely respected for her unwavering dedication to exposing instances of police brutality and corruption through alternative media platforms such as CIPER.
Women Press Freedom stands in unwavering support of Josefa Barraza. We strongly denounce the unjust targeting of the journalist through groundless charges aimed at intimidating and censoring her vital work. We urgently call upon the authorities to reject these baseless accusations and uphold the fundamental freedom of journalists to fulfill their crucial roles without fear or obstruction.
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