Launch of a new platform for journalists and media in exile

The platform brings together resources, information, and support initiatives available from various civil society organizations and other key actors for journalists facing displacement or exile in Latin America and the Caribbean.In addition to representatives of the organizations behind periodismolibre.org, today's virtual launch event featured journalists Abigail Hernández from La Sala and Galería News (Nicaragua), Luz Mely Reyes from Efecto Cocuyo (Venezuela), and José Nieves from El Toque (Cuba).Recognizing that the process of exile is often overwhelming and highly challenging, the websitel helps guide displaced journalists through a maze of information. Thanks to the collaboration and coordination of nearly 20 civil society organizations, international agencies, and other relevant entities, the platform offers quick and structured access to the requirements and steps needed to apply for available opportunities. Platform resources include:

• Legal support: Information and specialized advice for vulnerable journalists, including guidance on migration processes and defense of their rights.
• Financial support: Information on how to access scholarship programs, emergency funds, and other sources of financial aid to help continue journalistic work in exile.
• Training and education: Courses, mentorship, and training opportunities for professional development and knowledge updates.
• Well-being and community: Programs supporting physical and mental health, as well as meeting spaces that foster resilience and collaboration among displaced journalists.
• Reports and publications: Access to studies, reports, and reference materials on journalism in crisis and exile contexts.
• Other support opportunities: Information about additional initiatives promoted by platform partners.

The Latin American Network of Journalism in Exile (RELPEX, for its Spanish acronym) is a program of the IAPA aimed at assisting journalists in exile, displacement, or forced mobility due to persecution for their work. It seeks to support the continuation of their journalistic efforts and foster information exchange on this critical issue.Periodismolibre.org is part of the "Space for Freedom" project, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office through the Hannah Arendt Initiative, which aims to build a support network for media professionals under threat and in displacement or exile.The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.