Former Costa Rican Presidents Meet with Mission Assessing Freedom of Expression and Press Freedom in the Country

On the occasion of the visit to Costa Rica by the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to assess the situation of freedom of expression and press freedom in the country, the former Presidents of the Republic jointly accepted the mission’s request for an interview and shared our views.

The presence of IAPA and CPJ in our country should be a matter for reflection and concern. Costa Rica, historically recognized for its high standards of press freedom, has in recent years been included in the monitoring efforts of these international organizations due to troubling signs of deterioration in this area. These include administrative measures aimed at financially suffocating news organizations, restrictions on access to public information, the unjustified use of “state secrecy,” as well as stigmatizing treatment of media outlets and journalists and online harassment targeting government critics among journalists and content creators.

We share these concerns and believe it is our duty to contribute to the work of IAPA and CPJ. We therefore call on the authorities, news organizations, and civil society to facilitate their mission and guarantee full openness and transparency.