WHEREAS, in the context of the Covid-19 health crisis, most governments of the Americas - through declarations of emergencies - limited, obstructed, and exempted themselves from complying with laws on access to public information and transparency, and imposed restrictions on media and journalist freedom of movement, hindering press coverage
WHEREAS, in Chile, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela, there were reports of restrictions on the freedom of movement of journalists, as well as restrictions on the distribution and sale of newspapers and other media
WHEREAS, in Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Grenada, Nicaragua, Peru and Puerto Rico, the authorities have used the pandemic as an excuse to limit access to information by citizens and the media
WHEREAS, in El Salvador the government denied access to information on Covid-19 cases, and judges prevented journalists from attending penal hearings - which by law are public
WHEREAS, in Honduras, the so-called "Law of Secrets" of 2014 - which shields government information of public interest for up to 25 years, infringing the right of access to public information and the transparency principle - has not yet been reviewed
WHEREAS, in Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela there has been an increase in the systematic abuse of State power, disinformation, lack of transparency and censorship
WHEREAS, the third principle of the Chapultepec Declaration states that: "The authorities must be legally required to make available to citizens - in a timely and equitable manner - the information generated by the public sector
THE 76TH IAPA GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLVES
To censor the restrictions that governments have imposed to the access to information during the states of emergency and to reject the lack of transparency that harms the right to freedom of expression and democracy
To point out to the governments of the Americas that the media and journalists carry out essential activities, in consideration of the fact that the free flow of information and freedom of the press are fundamental principles that nourish the human right to access information.
