; Whereas in Peru, criminal defamation lawsuits, legislation, and restrictive accreditation schemes for journalists that undermine freedom of expression have been used to harass and silence investigative journalists who write about prominent political figures, and the unlawful state repression of protestors has also increased the risk to journalists covering ongoing social unrest in Peru, as corroborated by the wounding of several journalists by rubber pellets and tear gas canisters in police and military operations throughout 2022 and 2023, which have been condemned by international organizations as violating international standards on the use of force, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists and Amnesty International; Whereas in Ecuador, a group of presumed gang members stormed a local news station in Guayaquil on January 9, 2024, during a live broadcast, which evinces the country's worsening security condition amid organized crime activity that, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, forced at least 5 journalists to leave Ecuador between April and October 2023; Whereas in Venezuela, the Maduro regime continues to target independent media outlets, to restrict the exercise of freedom of expression, and to severely limit access to accurate information, with local civil society organization Public Space (Espacio Público) registering 349 attacks on journalists and media workers between January and November 2023, including censorship, verbal attacks, and intimidation