The recent Special Report on the Situation of Freedom of Expression in Chile, published by the Special Rapporteurship for Freedom of Expression (RELE) of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) in October 2025, is not just an institutional diagnosis: it is a raw reflection of the precariousness faced by journalists like me in contexts of protest and state control. Based on an in loco visit in March 2024, the document acknowledges advances, such as training for officials and the passage of the journalism protection bill, but denounces the structural patterns of violence, harassment, and opacity that have persisted since the 2019 social uprising. As a Chilean detained multiple times for the “crime of informing” during those mobilizations, I see in this report the validation of silenced experiences that demand urgent institutionalization.

Violence against journalism: My experience in the numbers
The report documents more than 400 attacks against journalists between 2019 and 2023, including beatings, arbitrary detentions, illegal surveillance, and judicial harassment, generating widespread self-censorship. I remember my detentions in Santiago in 2019-2021: assaulted by Carabineros while covering protests, accused of “obstruction” for documenting police excesses, released without charges after hours of interrogation, and threatened with death on repeated occasions. Emblematic cases like the murder of Francisca Sandoval in 2022—whose material perpetrators were convicted, but the chain of command remains unpunished—illustrate the impunity that the report qualifies as “worrying.” RELE urges a comprehensive, preventive, punitive, and reparative approach, aligned with the standards of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (Corte IDH), such as the Claude Reyes vs. Chile case regarding access to information.

Access to public information: Opacity as a tool of control
Chile has the Transparency Council (CPLT), but the report criticizes repeated denials and indefinite extensions on requests, limiting citizen scrutiny. In my work, requests about police repression were denied under “national security,” perpetuating the official narrative. This violates the right to know, a democratic pillar according to the Corte IDH, and fosters gaps in digital environments where disinformation proliferates without counterweights.

Media pluralism and digital environments: Barriers for independent voices

The text denounces media concentration, obstacles to concessions for community radios, and discrimination against marginalized groups. As a Pressenza collaborator from Montreal, I face algorithmic censorship and digital gaps that invisibilize critical analyses on Gaza or human rights. RELE recommends inclusive regulatory frameworks and equitable state funding, avoiding restrictions on expression on networks.

Recommendations and call to action

The CIDH proposes adapting laws to the digital realm, strengthening the CPLT, and creating specific police protocols. From my position as a direct witness and analyst, I demand: disaggregated data on attacks, independent investigations, and effective legal protection. This report is not a closure, but a catalyst for Chile to honor its inter-American commitments.

References
1. Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH). (2025). *Special Report on the Situation of Freedom of Expression in Chile*. OEA/Ser.L/V/II. CIDH/RELE/INF.32/25. https://www.oas.org/es/cidh/expresion/publicaciones/informechile.pdf
2. Special Rapporteurship for Freedom of Expression (RELE). (2025, October 14). *Press Release 210/25*. Organization of American States. https://www.oas.org/es/cidh/jsForm/?File=/es/cidh/expresion/prensa/comunicados/2025/210.asp
3. Inter-American Court of Human Rights. (2006). *Claude Reyes et al. vs. Chile Case*. Judgment of September 19, 2006.
4. CIDH. (2022). *Situation of human rights in Chile*. https://www.oas.org/es/cidh/informes/pdfs/2022_chile.pdf
5. Pressenza. (2022, May 10). *Persecution of the press in Chile: the crime of informing*. By Claudia Aranda. https://www.pressenza.com/es/2022/05/persecusion-a-la-prensa-en-chile-el-crimen-de-informar/
6. Revista de Frente. (2025, June 18). *Conflict of Narratives: The Face of Extermination and the Strategy of Impunity*. By Claudia Aranda. https://www.revistadefrente.cl/conflicto-de-narrativas-el-rostro-del-exterminio-y-la-estrategia-de-la-impunidad-por-claudia-aranda/
7. CIDH. (2025). *Annual Report RELE Chapter*.
8. Inter-American Court of Human Rights (Corte IDH). (2023). *Standards on freedom of expression in protests*.
9. Transparency Council (CPLT). (2024). Claims statistics.
10. Observatory of Communication Rights. (2020). Bulletin No. 6.
11. APDH. (2019). Precautionary measures for Chile.