The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) expressed concern over attacks by the government against journalists. The entity confirmed that three direct attacks on journalists during visits to the Presidential House were documented. The report highlights a complaint filed by the Association of Journalists and Professionals in Communication Sciences of Costa Rica (COLPER), whose members denounced obstacles to the exercise of journalism between July and September 2024.
The case refers to an incident that occurred during a press conference on July 10, 2024, in which three journalists were prevented from carrying out their work by government officials. The legal action was processed under file number 24-025545-0007-CO before the Constitutional Chamber and was brought against President Rodrigo Chaves Robles, Minister of Communication Arnold Zamora, Minister of Public Works and Transport Mauricio Batalla, and the head of the Presidential Protection Unit.
“This case not only represents an offense against individual journalists but also a threat to the public’s right to be informed. We are grateful that the Rapporteurship is shedding light on this matter at the regional level, and we reiterate our call for a prompt resolution,” said Yanancy Noguera, president of COLPER.
The report also mentions an investigation by COLPER into the aggressions suffered by a journalist and a cameraman from TV Once in 2023, noting connections between the perpetrators and three members of the Legislative Assembly. The Rapporteurship warned in its report about persistent challenges to the exercise and protection of freedom of expression in Costa Rica, despite its strong democratic institutions.
The international report also cites findings from a COLPER investigation, which revealed that a group of demonstrators responsible for attacking a journalist and a cameraman from the now-defunct NC Once news program in September 2023 maintained frequent contact with three lawmakers. The Rapporteurship expressed concern over setbacks in the field of journalism, highlighting Costa Rica’s drop to 36th place in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). In 2022, the country ranked eighth.
