Miami (October 27, 2023) - The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) condemned and expressed concern over statements made by the President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, against the press. The organization warned that discrediting journalists and media outlets can lead to hostile actions when exercised from a position of power.
In a public event on October 25, President Boric criticized the press in general and, in particular, made derogatory remarks about the newspapers El Mercurio, La Tercera, and La Segunda. He said, "I read the newspapers very little these days. But it's impressive how they prefer the bad news. I don't know how those who still read El Mercurio, La Tercera, La Segunda can feel okay afterward because, in truth, it's as if we live in a hellish country."
Michael Greenspon, IAPA president, and Carlos Jornet, president of the IAPA's Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, stated, "Unfortunately, beyond political ideologies, we have been observing an anti-press discourse from intolerant leaders in the Americas for some time, and now we add Chile to that list."
Greenspon, Global Head of Licensing and Print Innovation for The New York Times, and Jornet, editor of La Voz del Interior in Argentina, said that the close relationship between stigmatization and violence will be thoroughly discussed during the SIP General Assembly to be held from November 9 to 12 in Mexico City.
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.
