Colombia

WHEREAS as a consequence of the growing political polarization in the country and the friction among the branches of government, judicial and administrative actions against the media and columnists increased along with discrediting efforts and pressure measures against journalists, such as subpoenas to testify in judicial investigations, in clear ignorance of the principle of confidentiality enshrined in the constitution WHEREAS a bill to regulate freedom of information is being studied in Congress that would have possible implications for the free and independent practice of journalism and that would constitute as an information council that would be able to act as a censorship court WHEREAS although no journalists were killed in the past six months and threats and obstruction to journalists’ work decreased these are still the most frequent types of intimidation in the departments of Arauca, Caquetá, Nariño, Tolima, Santander, Cesar, Antioquia and Valle del Cauca WHEREAS principle 10 of the Declaration of Chapultepec says, “No news medium nor journalist may be punished for publishing the truth or criticizing or denouncing the government” THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES to ask the authorities to obey the constitutional duty to respect the autonomy and independence of the media as an essential requirement to guarantee the right to information and the true development of press freedom