There has been more than a measure of surprise about the latest statement by the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) in which it condemned various Latin American countries for their persecution of journalists.
The failure to include one particular country, Honduras, in its list of condemned countries has upset commentators and other press freedom watchdogs.
According to one critic, John Perry, a total of 16 journalists have been murdered in Honduras since a 2009 political coup.
Perry, who has written about the persecution of journalists in Honduras on the London Review of Books blog, is amazed that IAPA has ignored the country's recent violent record. He wrote to IAPA:
"Can you please explain why your press release today complains about press persecution in three Latin America countries, but omits Honduras?
It is well known that last year 10 journalists were killed in Honduras, making it one of the world's most dangerous countries for journalists.
It has been criticised by UNESCO and by organisations such as Reporters without Frontiers. Do you condemn the treatment of journalists in Honduras, and if not why not?"
There is some disagreement about the exact figures. According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, 12 Honduran journalists have been murdered since March 2010, while the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders lists 15 deaths in 18 months.
Whatever the case, these totals are surely high enough to warrant IAPA's concern.
Perry has received backing from several other groups over IAPA's omission. For example, Dale Sorensen of the Californian-based lawyers' body, Task Force on the Americas, called it "outrageous."
Another supporter of Perry's complaint argues that IAPA is "not really a press freedom organisation" (despite that being its stated raison d'etre) because it "seeks to protect the right-wing oligarchies' monopolies over the media all over Latin America."
