On 7 October 2012, Venezuelans will decide on whether to re-elect President Hugo Chávez or to allow opposition candidate Henrique Capriles to accede to the country’s supreme function. The campaign period will be one of uncertainty; Capriles has successfully united opposition for the first time in 13 years and become a tough contender for Chávez, whose decreasing public appearances after being diagnosed with cancer a year ago have raised many doubts on his ability to run the campaign and serve a 4th term.

Since 1998, our organisation has actively monitored the cases of media employees who pay the ultimate price in their efforts to bring us the news. A way of honouring the courage and determination of men and women who lose their lives while reporting on conflicts, challenging governments or investigating corruption and crime.

Weekly newspaper Río Doce is a rare success story of independent journalism in one of the world’s most dangerous regions for media professionals. Based in the city of Culiacán, capital of the north western state of Sinaloa, in Mexico, the publication received the 2011 edition of the prestigious Maria Moors Cabot Prizes, awarded by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, in recognition for the most outstanding reporting on Latin America and the Caribbean. WAN-IFRA interviewed Mr. Ismael Bojorquez Perea, one of the founders and current director of Río Doce.

La Asociación Mundial de Periódicos y Editores de Noticias (WAN-IFRA) y el World Editors Forum (WEF) han exigido la inmediata investigación del asesinato de la periodista mexicana María Elizabeth Macías, y han pedido al presidente Felipe Calderón que haga cuanto esté en sus manos para poner fin al clima de impunidad que envuelve la violencia ejercida contra los periodistas del país.