Miami, (June 16, 2021).- The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) announces that it will hold its 77th General Assembly from October 28 to 31 in Madrid, Spain, which would mark the return of the organization's face-to-face activities after two years of virtual meetings as a result of the pandemic.
"We still have a long road to recovery ahead of us, particularly in Latin American countries," said IAPA President Jorge Canahuati Larach. He added, however, that "we are pleased to return to the format of face-to-face meetings as they are our strength, part of our culture, and necessary to continue working efficiently for press freedom and the future of our industry."
The IAPA meeting will be held at the Hotel Meliá-Castilla in Madrid. A fall in infection rates in Spain, as well as progress in the application of vaccines has allowed the lifting of curfews in Spain that began the reactivation of its tourist infrastructure, including the organization of international conferences.
"We are confident that in the next five months, until the end of October, our hemisphere will continue to make important progress in the eradication of Covid-19, which will allow us to arrive more strengthened at our meeting in Madrid," said Canahuati, president of the Opsa Group, from Honduras. Canahuati highlighted the flexibility and logistical support of the Hotel Meliá-Castilla for holding the event.
The last face-to-face meeting of the IAPA took place in October 2019 during its 75th General Assembly in Coral Gables, Florida prior to the outbreak of the pandemic. During the global health emergency, the IAPA held virtually an annual assembly, two biannual meetings, and three conferences on digital issues, SIPConnect.
IAPA is a non-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 publications from the western hemisphere; and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.