Peru fell six positions on the press freedom index, according to Reporters Without Borders.

Peru is currently ranked 115, one of the lowest in the region, and only slightly better than countries like Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

The report said Brazil experienced one of the biggest falls in Latin America, dropping 41 places to 99th because of “the high level of violence in the country, which resulted in the deaths of three journalists and bloggers.”

The report says the situation in Brazil is comparable to that in Peru, where three journalists were also murdered.

The organization said Peru is also notorious for its “large number of legal proceedings for defamation”, and cites the case of Paul Garay Ramirez, a radio and television journalist who spent six months in prison for allegedly defaming a prosecutor.

The entire region suffered worsened conditions regarding freedom of expression, and according to the report, 18 journalists were killed in Latin America in 2011.

Among South American countries, Argentina topped the charts at 47th place, followed by Chile and Paraguay tied at 80th.