Miami (November 23, 2021) - The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) vehemently condemns an attack against the headquarters of the Clarín newspaper and the corporate offices of the media group of the same name in Argentina. The organization urged the authorities to investigate the attack and punish those responsible promptly.
Nine hooded individuals threw Molotov cocktails at one of the entrances to the Grupo Clarín building in Buenos Aires at around 11 o'clock last night. The fuel and fire from the devices stained the façade. No injuries or material damages were reported. Security cameras recorded the attack.
IAPA President Jorge Canahuati and the chairman of the Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, Carlos Jornet, agreed to condemn "the violent attack which seeks to intimidate and constitutes a serious violation of press freedom."
"We deplore the attack and hope that the authorities will fulfill their duty to investigate, identify, and bring the instigators to justice," said Canahuati, president of Grupo Opsa of Honduras, and Jornet, editor of the newspaper La Voz del Interior of Argentina.
The executives recalled principle 4 of the Chapultepec Declaration, which states that "violence of any kind and the impunity of the aggressors severely restrict freedom of expression and the press." In addition, principle 9 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression warns that "intimidation of and or threats to social communicators, as well as the material destruction of communications media violate the fundamental rights of individuals and strongly restrict freedom of expression," and that States must prevent and investigate and "punish the perpetrators."
IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere; and is based in Miami, Florida, United States
