By Humeyra Pamuk

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary Anthony Blinken criticized Latin American efforts to restrict press freedom and stated that the United States wants to improve media protection in countries with high levels of journalistic murders.

Blinken, speaking at an event on press freedom ahead of the Summit of the Americas – a regional gathering that aims to address problems of migration and economic growth – stated that governments throughout the region use broad legislation and surveillance in order to suppress freedom of the press and intimidate journalists.

He singled out Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba as the countries that President Joe Biden expelled from the Summit of Americas Summit of Americas Summit because they weren’t democratic. Biden said independent journalism was a crime in those three countries.

Blinken claimed that no region of the globe is more dangerous to journalists. He added that this year, at least 17 media professionals were killed in Western Hemisphere. He cited the UNESCO Observatory for journalist killed.

British journalist Dom Phillips, and Brazilian indigenous expert Bruno Pereira disappeared last weekend while covering a report in a remote area of Amazon rainforest (NASDAQ:), near the border to Peru.

The people responsible for ordering and carrying out crimes like this continue to be committed in part, but not all. It sends a signal that these attacks are possible to continue in impunity,” Blinken explained.

He also criticized El Salvador.

Blinken stated that governments use broad legislation to suppress free expression. He cited the example of El Salvador’s recent amendments in March and April.