WHEREAS that the authoritarian governments of Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela continue with the practices of secrecy and absolutely restrict public information
WHEREAS that in El Salvador the government restricts the right of access to public information and classifies information indiscriminately without complying with the relevant laws in force
WHEREAS, in the United States, access to public records continues to be a matter of concern, and President Joe Biden continues to be inaccessible to the press
WHEREAS, in Guatemala, access to information on judicial proceedings is hindered by their being declared "in reserve," which limits press coverage of court cases
WHEREAS, in Jamaica, Guyana and Suriname, the press was affected by government restrictions on access to official information of public interest
WHEREAS, in Panama, several government agencies and institutions continue to refuse to provide requested data, refuse to respond to journalists' questionnaires and fail to comply with the obligation to publish public information on the Internet
WHEREAS, in Peru the Attorney General's Office has refused to respond to requests for information related to Patricia Benavides, in contradiction to the Law of Transparency and Access to Public Information, and journalists and media have been prohibited from accessing judicial hearings
WHEREAS, in Puerto Rico the right of access to information continues to be violated and several government agencies have been sued by the media and press organizations
WHEREAS, the Declaration of Chapultepec establishes that, "The authorities must be compelled by law to make available in a timely and reasonable manner the information generated by the public sector."
THE 79TH IAPA GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLVES
To condemn the restrictions on access to information suffered by citizens, journalists and the media in Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, El Salvador, the United States, Guatemala, Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname, Panama, Peru and Puerto Rico.
Call on governments to suspend the practices of secrecy and indiscriminate classification of documents of public interest and to comply with existing laws on transparency and access to public information.
Explain to political leaders that their direct statements on social media do not constitute acts of communication and transparency and that they should value press conferences and interviews with journalists as valuable tools in the exercise of government accountability and openness.
