Media Defence and OACNUDH Convene Lawyers in San Jose to Strengthen Press Freedom Defences in Latin America.
From June 15-17, 2026, Media Defence brought together lawyers from across Latin America for the second edition of its workshop for litigating lawyers on the protection of journalists, freedom of expression, and access to information, held in San José, Costa Rica.
The three-day programme was organised in collaboration with the Office of the UN Human Rights Office for Central America (OACNUDH), forming part of Media Defence’s ongoing commitment to building the capacity of legal practitioners working to defend journalists and independent media across the region.
The litigation surgery involved 16 lawyers, from Argentina, Guatemala, Brazil, Venezuela, Paraguay, Mexico, Honduras, Peru, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Colombia.
With press freedom under mounting pressure across Latin America, and legal threats against journalists increasingly becoming the weapon of choice for those seeking to silence critical reporting, strengthening the network of lawyers equipped to defend the press has never been more urgent.
The first day started with a roundtable discussion on the current landscape for journalists in Latin America, examining the main risks they face, the legal tools being used against them, and patterns of criminalisation of free expression across the region.
This was followed by an introduction to the universal and inter-American human rights systems, including practical guidance on how to bring cases before the Inter-American Commission and Court of Human Rights, facilitated by Media Defence legal consultant Marta Cabrera and Jorge Errandonea, senior staff attorney at the Registry of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR).
The second day examined freedom of expression as a fundamental right, with sessions on the tension between free expression and reputational rights, and a dedicated session on disinformation and hate speech, exploring states’ legal obligations in this area.
The final day began with participants attending a live public hearing at the IACHR. The afternoon session built directly on this experience, with a module on structuring a case before an international system, followed by a simulated public hearing before the Inter-American Court. The programme concluded with a session on follow-up actions and areas for further study.
Throughout the three days, sessions combined expert presentations with practical exercises, allowing participants to apply legal standards directly to realistic case scenarios. The opportunity to attend a live hearing at the Inter-American Court gave the workshop a depth of practical grounding that is rarely possible in a training setting.
We are grateful to OACNUDH and all the facilitators and speakers who contributed to the programme, and to the participants for their engagement and commitment to defending press freedom across the region.
Learn more about our Litigation Surgeries & Capacity Building programmes here.
Stay up to date with future opportunities by subscribing to our newsletter.
