COSTA RICA

WHEREAS in the Social Affairs Committee of the Costa Rican Legislative Assembly there was approved a bill inspired by laws restrictive of a free and independent press passed in some countries of Latin America WHEREAS on this premise in the bill, following the nominal and clear declaration of principles and legitimate intentions and those consistent with the demands of democracy, there are regulations that are directed at restricting news media’s editorial stance and it also seeks to modify information, conditioning it in open violation of case law peacefully adopted by the Inter-American Human Rights Court on these matters, of which Costa Rica has historically been a defender WHEREAS Article 5 of the Declaration of Chapultepec establishes that the imposition of obstacles to the free flow of news, and restrictions on the activities and movements of journalists directly contradict freedom of the press THE IAPA GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLVES to respectfully call the Costa Rican government’s and society’s attention with the objective of stopping legal initiatives such as the one indicated, as they would compromise the affirmed tradition and prestige of a democratic nation to ask the OAS Office of Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression to be alert to this.