“It is the cornerstone of democracy, whether in Washington, Havana, Caracas, Managua, or San Salvador.”
Upon accepting his new term as president of the IAPA, Pierre Manigault delivered a message of unity and hope to those attending the 81st General Assembly held in Punta Cana.
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (October 19, 2025) Pierre Manigault, president of the American media group Evening Post Publishing, took office today as the 73rd president of the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) at the conclusion of the 81st General Assembly of the organization considered to be the most prestigious and traditional in the fight for press freedom in the Americas.
In his acceptance speech, Manigault, speaking live from Charleston, South Carolina, said that press freedom and freedom of expression are under attack by the U.S. government and called on leaders of the U.S. news industry to join forces with their colleagues in the southern hemisphere.
“We need the support of U.S. media companies, and although they may not know it, they need our support, our experience, our knowledge in the fight against authoritarianism,” said Manigault, who concluded her speech by saying that next year will be “challenging, momentous, and possibly transformative.”
Below is the full speech by the new IAPA president:
For the first time in modern U.S. history, freedom of the press and freedom of expression are under attack from the highest levels of government.
The President of the United States has unleashed a barrage of lawsuits against some of the nation’s leading media companies – multimillion-dollar out-of-court settlements with CBS/Paramount and ABC/Disney; a $15 billion defamation claim against the NYT; a $10 billion lawsuit filed against the WSJ – all cases that the IAPA has already condemned.
Additionally, the president has openly called for stripping broadcast networks of their licenses if their coverage is “negative,” saying they act as “an arm of the Democratic Party.” Such statements echo authoritarian rhetoric more often associated with regimes the IAPA has long denounced in other parts of the hemisphere.
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has reinforced this debate, noting that broadcasters have “a unique obligation to operate in the public interest,” and lamenting that the FCC has drifted away from enforcing this principle. This has raised concerns about how regulatory powers could be used — or abused — against critical media. These actions unfold in a broader climate of hostility, with the President of the United States and other high-ranking U.S. government officials repeatedly disparaging the press, labeling journalists as “enemies of the people,” undermining critical journalism as “fake news,” and fostering a dangerous environment for constitutionally protected democratic discourse.
This is unfamiliar territory for the American media. Inarguably protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, long seen as a beacon for press freedom, the United States media today faces challenges reminiscent of the authoritarian strategies we know too well in Latin America. For IAPA members throughout the hemisphere — many of whom have lived under regimes that weaponized the law, manipulated regulators, and demonized the press — this moment in the U.S. is deeply familiar. The Latin American media’s experience with confronting censorship, smear campaigns, judicial harassment, and economic pressure offer valuable lessons for U.S. publishers and journalists. The IAPA must now create channels for exchange so that insights gained in Latin America’s darkest moments can serve as guidance for U.S. media navigating this unprecedented assault.
Challenges to press freedom are not isolated; they are interconnected across borders. Attacks on journalism in the United States reverberate globally, emboldening authoritarian leaders elsewhere to intensify repression. Our collective response must be to reaffirm that freedom of expression is the cornerstone of democracy, whether in Washington, Havana, Caracas, Managua, or San Salvador.
In this regard, the IAPA is uniquely positioned to convene voices from across the hemisphere, fostering solidarity and reinforcing that an attack on the press in one country is an attack on the press everywhere.
We must redouble our efforts to denounce, document and resist every attempt to silence independent journalism through lawsuits, censorship, economic coercion, or violence.
This press association will stand alongside U.S. media, as it has stood alongside this press association, offering the hard-earned experience of colleagues who have resisted authoritarianism in Latin America.
Likewise, we call on U.S. publishers to recognize that their fight is now our fight, and to join forces in building resilience for journalism across the hemisphere.
Ultimately, our mission is clear and unwavering: We will defend the right of citizens to be informed, because without a free press there is no democracy.
A defining achievement of the past year is the creation and consolidation of the Latin American Network of Journalism in Exile (or RELPEX).
RELPEX was born out of the IAPA’s decision to prioritize support for the journalists and media forced to flee authoritarian regimes in Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and beyond.
The network offers exiled journalist’s tools, solidarity, and a platform to continue reporting despite being displaced. Because exile must never mean silence, RELPEX affirms that the truth cannot be exiled.
Over the next two years, the IAPA has secured robust new resources that will allow RELPEX to expand and strengthen its support, ensuring continuity and resilience for journalists in exile.
This effort positions the IAPA as a global leader in defending not only the right to report, but the right of citizens to receive truthful information, regardless of borders.
For this upcoming year, I have asked each of the Committee Chairs who worked so diligently this past year to continue in their posts, because I believe that continuity and time are essential for their success. Their willingness to remain is a sign of our shared commitment to strengthen the IAPA, and together our challenge is to build a message that is strong, vibrant and enduring — one that honors our past while looking firmly to the future, presenting the IAPA as an indispensable and relevant voice for all media in the Americas.
We will need a strategic roadmap for the coming years …
This will include:
• Reaffirming the defense of press freedom as the central mission of the IAPA, adapting its role to confront new threats that now span from authoritarian regimes in Latin America to unprecedented pressures in the United States.
• Strengthening support networks for journalists at risk, ensuring that exile does not mean silence and that displaced reporters and media outlets can continue their work with resilience and independence.
• Developing a coordinated response to disinformation, promoting journalistic excellence and fostering cooperation among media, academia, civil society, and the private sector to safeguard democratic debate.
• Promoting the sustainability of the press, encouraging innovation, new business models, and fairer relationships with digital platforms and emerging technologies.
• Expanding the reach and representativeness of IAPA, incorporating diverse voices from across the hemisphere, including young professionals and digital media.
• We must deepen alliances with international institutions and democratic actors, ensuring that the defense of freedom of expression remains a shared priority at the highest levels.
• And we will foster a culture of solidarity and shared learning among members, so that lessons from one country can strengthen resilience and preparedness across the entire region.
Finally, in my first term as president 10 years ago, I drew our attention to rebuilding IAPA’s shrinking membership in the United States, which began to decline as industry challenges increased and media profits withered. Many U.S. newspaper companies cut their IAPA memberships and donations, seeing them as low-hanging cost savings. Though supportive of IAPA’s mission to protect freedom of expression throughout the hemisphere, they saw it as a non-essential expense. After all, a free press was undeniably and permanently guaranteed by the First Amendment.
… Or so we thought.
Today we find ourselves in a different world, and suddenly the work of the Inter America Press Association is as relevant and important in the United States of America as it is in Latin America. It is time to renew our efforts to increase membership in the U.S. We need the support of U.S. media companies, and though they may not know it, they need our support, our experience, our expertise in combating authoritarianism.
The upcoming year will no doubt be challenging, momentous and possibly quite transformative. We – all of us here today, united through this organization – have a strong voice and a clear message.
Let us make ourselves be heard!
Thank you.
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.