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At UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day, a breakout session titled “From the field: Environmental journalism experiences in the America” featured three Latin American journalists specialized in the coverage of multiple environmental topics tailored to the contexts of their countries. The session focused on crucial aspects of notable environmental investigations and publications from Central and South America, highlighting the influence of extractive companies in Guatemala, Peru, and Chile.

In the rather disturbing reality that faces humanity in the ensuing environmental crisis, shocking revelations from the Global Witness Report highlight a grim situation. According to the, over 1000 land and environmental defenders around the world were killed between 2012 and 2022 with Latin America accounting for over 300 deaths. 

Patrick Murayari, Sonia Pérez, Nicolas Sepulveda, Scarlett Arias, and Nicole Venegas reflected on what these facts mean for journalists in the Americas and the recorded experiences of journalists. 

Sonia Pérez, a journalist from Guatemala, knows all too well about the effects of an authoritarian regime that curtails the freedom of the press.  A  owned by the Russian giant Solway, based in Switzerland, undertook activities that left the country full of environmental and health devastation. The project code named Phoenix, covered up the many negative effects of the mine to the locals, and protesting communities were met with brute force from law enforcement. 

According to Ms Pérez, any journalist probing the mining project faced an angry government that attacked them and curtailed them from doing their job. Additionally, Guatemala would criminalize not only journalists but lawyers of the communities, religious people and environmental defenders and accuse them of inciting violence.

As a Peruvian photographer covering the indigenous communities in the east of his country, Patrick Murayari reflected on the harsh operating environment that he constantly faced in the line of duty. He has utilized photography to collaborate with journalists, revealing how corporations affect rainforests designated as "protected regions" by local laws, mainly through pollution and extraction

His main focus is to strengthen the identity of the modern amazonian population and to keep the wisdom of indigenous people alive, referring to the Kapanawa, Matsés, Boras, Maijuanas, and Ticunas.

"If you are not in the traditional media, things are hard. I was imprisoned overnight once, and the police beat me on the head", he said while explaining the many risks of covering social protests in Lima.

In Guatemala, journalists who work for and with indigenous communities “are more likely to suffer criminalization for exercising their right to inform”, Ms Pérez said.

Nicolas Sepulveda is a Chilean investigative journalist who works for CIPER. In his career, he has told the stories of how supposedly have violated Chile’s environmental act for the extraction of lithium in a salt flat, causing harm to the local wildlife of flamingos.

“In environmental terms, it’s complex because it’s a place of reproduction for flamingos with little spaces and their situation is aggravated because of lithium exploitation and less salares,” Mr Sepulveda said at the conference in Santiago.

The story he wrote to CIPER got him in trouble. Sepulveda stated that they received legal threats from the staff of the mining company. “I was afraid”, he said, but he nevertheless decided to run the story.

The Chilean journalist, while talking about the need for reporters to share their own experiences, applauded the conference for providing such a platform. “I think this event is important, not just this one, but every instance that gathers different journalists from all around the world to have this space of reflection with students, about our work, and the threats we face in order to improve our profession”.

Murayari said journalists are workers, “not terrorists”. He also emphasized the importance of never ceasing to cover climate stories in order to seek justice for endangered communities.

Sebastián Cornejo, Sylvia Flavian Adongo, & Martín Malagueño