_-_copia.jpg?w=800&resize=800,500&ssl=1 "Freedom of the press in Honduras")
The state of press freedom in Honduras has gained more attention in recent years, characterized by a rise in violence, threats, and lack of accountability against journalists and media outlets. Numerous studies and official data have underscored a growingly adversarial atmosphere for journalism, where institutional and economic burdens are coupled with direct intimidation efforts and defamation campaigns.
In this situation, journalists in Honduras have encountered not just physical dangers but also public defamation efforts and legal intimidation, which have undermined media autonomy and provoked worries both within the country and abroad. Organizations focused on civil society and human rights have reacted with ongoing vigilance and appeals for the safeguarding of basic rights.
Threats, violence, and impunity against the press
From 2001 to the conclusion of 2024, over 100 journalists and communicators lost their lives in Honduras, with an impunity rate greater than 90%. Threats, intimidation, and constraints in the digital sphere have emerged as the most common types of violence, impacting both individual journalists and media organizations across different parts of the nation. In recent years, incidents involving 64 media outlets have been recorded, uncovering ongoing patterns of persecution and criminalization.
Financial stress on media outlets has impacted their ability to operate and maintain editorial independence, leading some to scale back their operations or even shut down. Legal pressure and resource shortages have been crucial elements in this deterioration.
International bodies have listed Honduras as one of the nations with the most unfavorable environment for journalists in Latin America, locating it at the lowest levels on worldwide rankings of press freedom.
Given this scenario, various domestic and international entities have called upon the Honduran authorities to ensure the protection of journalists and uphold freedom of speech, viewing them as crucial components for democracy and the rule of law.
Corporate initiatives and societal impact
In May 2025, the Honduran Armed Forces launched a communications campaign targeting journalists who criticized them, utilizing their formal media outlet to openly defame well-known reporters. In the latest issue of their official publication, numerous pages focused on denouncing three journalists, with photos and narratives portraying them as adversaries of the nation, lacking any substantial proof.
This incident provoked a swift response from journalists and human rights groups, who criticized the initiative, labeling it as an unparalleled organizational assault from top military and governmental levels. The journalistic community and different segments of Honduran society have stayed observant, insisting on openness and adherence to basic rights, as well as the cessation of any intimidation directed at the free press.
The case of journalist Rodrigo Wong Arévalo, who was singled out in a statement by the Ministry of National Defense and the Armed Forces, has attracted public attention and generated expressions of solidarity from national and international organizations. The statement, considered intimidating, was in response to statements made by Wong Arévalo about alleged irregularities in the transfer of public funds. Various sectors have recalled that the work of informing and monitoring institutions is an essential pillar of democracy.
The National Human Rights Commissioner has called on the State to avoid making remarks that could directly or indirectly threaten journalists and media outlets, highlighting the State’s responsibility to uphold freedom of thought and expression. Such situations have been seen as efforts to limit the informative and critical functions of the national press, raising concern about the potential use of institutional authority to hinder journalism in Honduras.