06 Jan 12 | Americas, Index Index, minipost
Dissident Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez has appealed to Brazil’s president to help her leave the Caribbean island. A strong critic of the country’s Communist regime, Sánchez has been accused by authorities of conducting a “cyberwar” against the government. Sánchez’s video appeal to Dilma Rousseff follows her invitation to Brazil to attend the screening of a documentary about press freedom in Cuba and Honduras in which she features. The blogger said she did not expect to be able to leave Cuba without “high-level intervention”. Migration rules that require Cubans to receive government permission to travel have prevented Sánchez from leaving the country since 2004.
04 Jan 12 | Americas, Index Index, minipost
Brazilian radio reporter Laécio de Souza was shot dead by two men yesterday in Salvador, in the north east of the country. Police said the journalist, a local news reporter for radio station Sucesso FM, had been receiving threats on his mobile phone in the lead up to his murder. Police have not released a motive for the crime, although it has been suggested local drug traffickers were upset with the journalist’s plans to construct a social project on his land.
13 Sep 11 | Index Index, minipost
Valderlei Canuto Leandro, host of the show Sinal Verde on Radio Frontera, was murdered by unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle in Tabatinga, located in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, on 1 September. Local bloggers say Canuto was known for his criticism of local politics. In May, Canuto filed a complaint claiming that Tabatinga’s mayor Samuel Benerguy had threatened him with death for reporting on corruption in the municipality.
07 Sep 11 | Index Index, minipost
A court in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul has prohibited media outlets operated by Grupo RBS from publishing the name or image of councilman, Adenir Mengue Webber, who is involved in a public funds scandal. Failure to comply with the ruling could result in a 600 USD-a-day fine. In August 2010, Fantástico, a TV programme, presented a series of reports denouncing trips taken by council members using state funds. The politicians justified the trips, saying they involved training courses. The National Association of Newspapers and the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism both condemned the ruling, saying it violated freedom of expression.
