Presidents of Colombia and Honduras confirmed; Felipe Calderón and Alvaro Colom expected to participate
Miami (October 8, 2010).—The upcoming General Assembly of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) will review the status of press freedom in the Americas and promises to host a gathering of the region’s presidents in the Mexican city of Mérida November 5-9.
The IAPA’s annual meeting includes the participation of the presidents of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, and Honduras, Porfirio Lobo, while confirmation is expected from Alvaro Colom of Guatemala and the host country’s Felipe Calderón. The heads of state are expected to share their views and experiences on such common issues as regional integration, trade agreements, public safety issues, and the battle against organized crime and the illicit drug trade.
The IAPA’s 64th General Assembly program will also feature a series of presentations and panel discussions by invited speakers such as the United States Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Arturo Valenzuela; Mexico State Governor Enrique Pena Nieto, and the presidents of television networks Televisa, Emilio Azcárraga, and TV Azteca, Ricardo Salinas, among others.
The meeting, attended by editors, publishers and reporters from throughout the Western Hemisphere will have as its central theme a review of freedom of the press in the region. Focus will be centered on the state of violence in the host country with discussions on the threats and violence waged against journalists and news media, action plans to avoid risks and ensure personal safety; issues of drug trafficking, and impunity – topics that will be raised by reporters from Colombia, Honduras and Mexico, as well as Mexico’s Special Prosecutor for Offenses Against Press Freedom, Gustavo Salas Chávez, and district attorneys from several Mexican states, among other experts.
The agenda for the Assembly, to be held at the Fiesta Americana Mérida Hotel in the southern state of Yucatán, will include a series of seminars on advertising and online marketing for newspapers, as well as first class social and cultural activities.
For more information about the General Assembly go to http://sip-asambleas.org/home.php
The IAPA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the defense and promotion of freedom of the press and of expression in the Americas. It is made up of more than 1,300 print publications from throughout the Western Hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida. For more information please go to http://www.sipiapa.org
