Mexico City (November 9, 2023) - The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) regretted the absence of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador or any representative of the Mexican government at the inauguration of its 79th General Assembly that took place today in this city.
The president of the IAPA, Michael Greenspon, of The New York, said that the organization is surprised that "the president has not accepted our invitation and that the Government has not sent any representative to express his ideas or his criticisms and complaints."
Greenspon also expressed that the pre-candidate Claudia Sheinbaum, of the ruling party, declined the invitation made to her by the IAPA.
Greenspon noted that throughout 79 annual assemblies, in 90 percent of the cases the presidents of the host countries have attended, including the assemblies held in Mexico,
"We feel incomplete at this table, but I also want to tell you that we feel strengthened in our conviction of the importance of freedom of the press and the debate of ideas in democracy. Not recognizing the value of press freedom is belittling the value of democracy," said the president of the IAPA.
During its meeting in Mexico City, the IAPA will celebrate the 30tn anniversary of the promulgation of the Declaration of Chapultepec, a fundamental document of press freedom in the Americas, and the fifth anniversary of the Declaration of Salta, a letter on principles of freedom of expression in the digital age that, in Mexico, will begin an updating process.
The full text of Michael Greenspon's inaugural address can be read here.
IAPAis 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.