The 2022-2023 Chapultepec Index is a wake-up call as an indicator of the actions from institutions on freedom of expression and the press over 22 countries in the Americas. The region’s overall average dropped to its lowest since this survey’s launch in 2020: for the first time, only 47.84 of 100 points possible were scored, totalizing fewer than 50 points. Among other reasons, the most important in terms of the journalists’ life and safety is the low level at the Violence and Impunity realm, which averaged 16.15 out of a theoretical maximum of 42 units. The indicator’s performance shows how our continent abounds in regressions against rights of the press in Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba –which were ranked as nations without freedom of expression and the press–. We also find an important trend to deterioration of these rights in Honduras, El Salvador, Bolivia and Guatemala, all of which entered the “high restriction” zone for this edition.

Some nations showed significant declines of punctuation in the Chapultepec Index. These are Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Paraguay and Ecuador. Of these, Costa Rica remained in the low restriction range, while the others are in the “in restriction” range. Others maintained their relative positions, but, despite having scores that place them in the "low restriction" range, they deteriorated in their performance, which resulted in a loss of some points in the barometer. These nations are Jamaica, Uruguay, Panama, United States and Canada. Chile is also in this band, but, unlike those countries, this one showed a slight upward variation in relation to the previous edition. This year, few countries have come out with significant progress. Such is the case of Dominican Republic, the only one to rank into the zone of nations exhibiting unrestricted freedom of expression as it went over 80 points for this edition. Brazil showed slight improvement, however insufficient to exceed the 50-point mark.

It is important to recognize Mexico's particular situation. It has continued its downward trend, according to the experts' assessment. Its performance in terms of media control has been evaluated with good grades, but this contrasts with what the country is experiencing in terms of violence against journalists. Although the crimes against journalists are not directly linked to institutional action, we do notice and worry about the impunity and the ineffectual protection to newspersons, which does depend on the government. For this edition, Mexico ranks last in the “in restriction” category, barely decimals away from the “high restriction” zone. The Chapultepec Index does not only present a synthetic measurement on several realms to be analyzed. It also allows us to learn how institutions performed during the period surveyed, August 2, 2022 to August 1, 2023. Please read the reports and learn the facts our correspondents bring in so that you understand how the different branches of the government work when it comes to freedom of expression and the press in the Inter-American scenario.

The continuous research work, the participation of academic experts in the areas of freedom of expression and press freedom, methodology and statistics, have allowed the quality of the work presented here, made thanks to the alliance between the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello and the Inter-American Press Association.

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