Miami (October 22, 2010)—In a clear show of solidarity with their colleagues from Mexico hundreds of editors, publishers, reporters and news media executives from throughout the Western Hemisphere have confirmed their attendance at the 66th General Assembly of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), to be held November 5-9 in Mérida, Mexico.
Registrations have already passed 400 and are expected to increase to nearly 500 for the event in the capital of Yucatán, the state that for the second straight year has been declared the safest in Mexico according to a National Crime Survey. The state government has expressly promised the IAPA to guarantee General Assembly participants a pleasant and safe stay as they work and enjoy the natural and cultural beauties of Yucatán.
“The large presence of our organization’s members in Mérida makes clear our support for and solidarity with the suffering Mexican news media. We could do nothing less than offer them our backing and reaffirm the commitment of the IAPA to freedom of the press in Mexico,” declared IAPA President Alejandro Aguirre, editor of the Miami, Florida, Spanish-language newspaper Diario Las Américas.
In line with the IAPA’s objective of also giving support to the Mexican media in their battle against self-censorship, violence and impunity during the General Assembly, several panel discussions and roundtables will focus on the problem of the violence besetting the press of Mexico and the region. For this a number of experts have been summoned – among them Gustavo Salas Chávez, Mexican Special Prosecutor for Crimes Against Freedom of Expression – who will discuss the mechanisms needed to ensure the safety and protection of journalists and strategies to avoid resort to self-censorship.
Two panel discussions will deal with safety issues. In a session titled “Journalists Under Attack: Combating a Threat,” news men and women from Mexico and other countries beset by violence will speak of how to report in a climate of violence and uncertainty. The participation is expected of Raúl Plascencia Villanueva, the chairman of Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission, among other panelists.
The roundtable “Violence, Impunity, Drug Trafficking” will bring together Renato Sales Heredia, Francisco Alor Quezada and Héctor José Cabrera Rivero, the state attorneys of Campeche, Quintana Roo and Yucatán, respectively. They will discuss official initiatives to put a halt to the violence unleashed by organized crime.
For more information on the General ASeembly 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.