WHEREAS press freedom remains subject to a system of structural censorship and systematic persecution that has forced more than 300 journalists and media workers into exile since 2018 and led to the near disappearance of on-the-ground reporting and print media within the country
WHEREAS, repression has shifted toward mechanisms including police surveillance, digital persecution, administrative and judicial restrictions, domain cancellations, the closure and confiscation of media outlets and equipment, smear campaigns, doxxing, threats, and interrogations, including retired journalists, creating a chilling effect and encouraging self-censorship
WHEREAS, legal and constitutional provisions related to national security, sovereignty, and state stability are being used to restrict freedom of expression and criminalize the practice of journalism, while access to public information remains virtually unavailable to independent media
WHEREAS, official communications are centralized, state-owned media operate as propaganda tools, and the discretionary allocation of government advertising excludes independent media outlets, in violation of Principle 7 of the Chapultepec Declaration.
THE 82nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES
To demand that the state fully guarantee freedom of the press and expression and cease the persecution, surveillance, intimidation, and retaliation against journalists, media outlets, and their families, restore the conditions necessary for independent journalism to operate within the country, and guarantee the safe return of exiled journalists and media workers
To demand the restoration of domains, broadcast frequencies, equipment, and other assets arbitrarily confiscated from or otherwise affected at media outlets; an end to administrative measures that prevent their operation; and a review and reform of legal provisions that allow the practice of journalism to be criminalized
To urge the authorities to guarantee effective access to public information and official sources, as well as transparent and objective criteria for allocating government advertising, eliminating all discriminatory practices against independent media outlets.
