El Salvador: Public Workers Threaten, Assault, and Restrict Movement of Jéssica Orellana
Attempt to coerce Orellana into deleting photographs and physical obstruction to prevent her from leaving are particularly egregious forms of censorship and intimidation
Location: El Salvador, San SalvadorDate: January 29, 2024
Women Press Freedom strongly condemns the recent assault on Jéssica Orellana, a respected photojournalist for El Diario de Hoy, while she reported on a government food aid delivery program in San Salvador, El Salvador. On January 29, 2024, Orellana was threatened, assaulted, and her freedom of movement was restricted by public workers tasked with overseeing the food distribution, a Presidential initiative. Orellana's journalistic rights were grossly violated when she was arbitrarily told that her work was "illegal" and was coerced to delete her photographs—a clear breach of press freedom. The escalation of this confrontation, including physical assault and threats of legal action against her, is alarming and unacceptable. We urge the Salvadoran authorities to promptly and thoroughly investigate this incident and ensure measures are in place to prevent such violations in the future. It is imperative that public officials and employees respect and protect the freedom of the press.
On January 29, 2024, Jéssica Orellana was attacked while covering the distribution of the Presidential Food Support Program (PPAA) to the population in San Salvador.
The El Diario de Hoy (EDH) journalist was reporting in a public space when she was approached by staff members responsible for managing the delivery process. Without explanation, they deemed her journalistic work "illegal" and demanded that she delete the photographs she had taken. When Orellana refused to comply with this demand, the situation escalated.
The staff members restricted Orellana's movement, preventing her from leaving the area. One of the employees grabbed her camera strap when she attempted to retreat to avoid confrontation. Threats were also made against Orellana, with one employee warning her that legal action would be taken if she published any photos showing their faces.
Orellana is an experienced, award-winning photojournalist who covers a wide range of topics, including gender, violence, health, education, historical memory, and migration. Unfortunately, this is not the first time Jéssica Orellana has been attacked while trying to report. In 2021, the photojournalist was physically assaulted by the President’s security team while trying to capture images of him casting his vote in El Salvador. Orellana was impeded and injured by security guards.
Women Press Freedom vehemently condemns the aggressive actions taken by civil servants against Jéssica Orellana. It is unacceptable to obstruct, intimidate, or limit the ability of a journalist to cover a government initiative in a public setting. Authorities must thoroughly investigate this incident and ensure that those responsible are held accountable for their actions. Such behavior not only violates the rights of journalists but also undermines the principles of press freedom and democracy.
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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 female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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