El Salvador: Mayor Intimidates, Smears and Harasses La Prensa Gráfica Journalist
Women Press Freedom demands accountability from the Mayor of El Refugio
Location: El Salvador, Ahuachapán
Date: January 5, 2024
The Coalition for Women in Journalism and Women Press Freedom strongly condemns the egregious violation of press freedom in Ahuachapán, where a La Prensa Gráfica journalist faced targeted harassment and defamation at the hands of Darwin Regalado, Mayor of El Refugio, and supporters of the Nuevas Ideas party. The behavior of the Mayor, as an elected official, toward a member of the press is unacceptable. He must immediately cease his harassment and apologize to the journalist.
On January 5, 2024, in a blatant disregard for media freedom, Mayor Regalado engaged in a series of intimidating and defamatory actions against a journalist conducting legitimate inquiries into possible irregularities within the El Refugio municipal administration. This incident began with the journalist being subjected to surveillance by individuals believed to be affiliated with the Nuevas Ideas party while she was photographing the town hall's facade. Subsequently, Mayor Regalado, in an alarming act of intimidation, photographed the journalist and then proceeded to disseminate slanderous content about her on social media.
Mayor Regalado's post on his personal Facebook page, which was later deleted, not only used derogatory language to refer to La Prensa Gráfica but also included unfounded accusations against the journalist.
“The desperation of the opposition is so great that they have to pay journalists from La Perra Gráfica [The Graphic Bitch] to lie to the people, defame, and even try to attack our public information officer. These journalists have no content and seek to lie for attention since their newspapers went out of circulation; the people do not give them the slightest importance."
The post falsely alleged that the journalist had acted disrespectfully and aggressively towards a municipal information officer, claims which the journalist firmly denies.
In response to the baseless accusations, the journalist sought clarification from Mayor Regalado and the information officer. However, the mayor refused to engage and barred the journalist from entering the town hall. Municipal employees recorded the journalist's attempt to communicate with the mayor, threatening police involvement if she did not vacate the premises.
The Coalition for Women in Journalism and Women Press Freedom views these actions as severe violations of press freedom. Such behavior is not only unacceptable from an elected official but also sets a dangerous precedent, undermining the role of the press in a democratic society. We demand an immediate cessation of harassment against the journalist by Mayor Regalado and his associates. An apology to the journalist and a retraction of the false statements against her is imperative. Furthermore, we call upon local authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into this matter and ensure those responsible are held accountable for their actions. The freedom of the press is a cornerstone of democracy, and it is essential to protect journalists from intimidation, harassment, and false accusations, especially when such actions stem from individuals in positions of power.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help women career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.