Impunity Murders

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IAPA Midyear Meeting 2017

Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala

March 31 – April 3

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WHEREAS from October 2016 to date 13 journalists have been murdered – five in Mexico, three in Peru, two in Guatemala, two in the Dominican Republic and one in Honduras

WHEREAS Miroslava Breach Velducea, correspondent of La Jornada and stringer for the newspaper El Norte de Chihuahua and El Diario de Chihuahua in Chihuahua, Mexico, was murdered on March 21

WHEREAS Ricardo Monluí Cabrera, editor of the newspaper El Político de Xalapa, El Político de Córdoba and the portal www.elpolitico.com.mx in Veracruz, Mexico, was murdered on March 19

WHEREAS Cecilio Pineda Birto, stringer for the newspapers La Voz de Tierra Caliente and El Universal, among other media outlets in Altamirano, Guerrero, Mexico, was murdered on March 2

WHEREAS Adrián Rodríguez Samaniego, reporter with Antena Radio 102.5 FM and 760 AM of the Grupo Radio Divertida group, Chihuahua, Mexico, was murdered on December 10

WHEREAS Mario Delgadillo Ramos, photo journalist of the Mayor's Office in Texcoco, Mexico State, Mexico, was murdered on November 18

WHEREAS José Feliciano Yactayo Rodríguez, reporter, editor and audiovisual producer, was last seen alive on February 24 and his mutilated body was found on February 27 in Huaura, Lima province, Peru

WHEREAS the body of Julio Moisés Mesco was found on February 26 in Ocucaje, Ica province, Peru, however until early March it was not confirmed that it was that of the journalist who had been missing since February 8

WHEREAS Hernán David Choquepata Ordóñez, host of the program "Habla el pueblo" (The People Speak) on radio La Ribereña, Camaná, Arequipa, Peru, was murdered on November 20

WHEREAS Manuel Salvador Villagrán Trujillo, journalist and spokesman of the municipality of San Jorge Zacapa, Guatemala, was murdered on January 19

WHEREAS Hamilton Hernández Vásquez, reporter with the program "Punta Rojo" (Red Point) of Canal 5 television in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, and his wife, Hermelinda González Lucas, were murdered on November 5

WHEREAS Luis Manuel Medina, host of the program "Milenio Caliente" (Hot Millenium) on radio FM 103.5, San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic, was murdered on February 14

WHEREAS Leo Martínez, director of radio FM 103.5, San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic, was murdered on February 14

WHEREAS Igor Padilla, reporter with HCH television channel, San Pedro Sula, Honduras, was murdered on January 17

WHEREAS the level of impunity in the cases of murder of journalists continues to be high in the Americas, and one of the consequences of this scourge has been seen in Colombia where in this period there became subject to statute of limitation the judicial investigations into the murders of Norvey Díaz Cardona, editor of the newspaper Rodando Barrios, murdered on October 18, 1996; Santiago Rodríguez Villalba, a Sucre journalist, murdered on February 2, 1997; Freddy Elles Ahumada, news photographer in Bolívar, murdered on March 18, 1997, and Gerardo Bedoya, op-ed editor of the Cali newspaper El País, murdered on March 20, 1997, while other murders of journalists are also at risk of becoming subject to statute of limitations

WHEREAS Principle 4 of the Declaration of Chapultec states "Freedom of expression and of the press are severely limited by murder, terrorism, kidnapping, intimidation, the unjust imprisonment of journalists, the destruction of facilities, violence of any kind and impunity for perpetrators. Such acts must be investigated promptly and punished harshly".

THE IAPA MIDYEAR MEETING RESOLVES

to condemn the murder of journalists Miroslava Breach Velducea, Ricardo Monluí Cabrera, Cecilio Pineda Birto, Adrián Rodríguez Samaniego and Mario Delgadillo Ramos of Mexico; José Feliciano Yactayo, Julio Moisés Mesco and Hernán David Choquepata Ordóñez of Peru; Manuel Salvador Villagrán Trujillo and Hamilton Hernández Vásquez of Guatemala; Luis Manuel Medina and Leo Martínez of the Dominican Republic, and Igor Padilla of Honduras

to urge the governments and corresponding authorities of Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and Honduras to rigorously apply justice in order to determine the motives for the murders, identify those guilty and punish the masterminds and perpetrators

to reiterate that attacks upon journalists in all their manifestations amount to a threat to freedom of expression and to urge that there be developed a culture of denunciation of violence and impunity in crimes against journalists

to express astonishment and reiterate to the Colombian Attorney General's Office that it should urgently examine elements that could serve to re-open the processes and take the necessary steps to prevent other crimes against journalists becoming subject to statute of limitations.

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