IAPA reports 11 journalists killed in Americas since March

The Inter American Press Association says that 11 journalists from around the Americas have been killed since March - three each in Brazil and Mexico, two in Guatemala, and one each in Colombia, Honduras and the Dominican Republic.

That brings to 16 the number of journalists killed in the region since the beginning of the year, the press group said in a report delivered during its current meeting in Charleston.

It also said that there have been convictions in only 19 of the 145 journalist killings it has tracked since 1977.

The association singled out Venezuela for criticism, saying "the attacks against freedom of expression are part of the deterioration ... occurring in the country."

The press group is meeting through Monday.