Guatemala City (November 11, 2024) – The President of Guatemala, Bernardo Arévalo, signed the Declaration of Chapultepec today following a meeting with a delegation from the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). He committed to upholding the document's 10 principles on freedom of expression and press freedoms essential to democracy.
During the signing ceremony, held this afternoon at the National Palace of Culture in Guatemala City, Arévalo was joined by an IAPA delegation that included José Roberto Dutriz, president; Gonzalo Marroquín, former president; and Carlos Lauría, executive director. José Rubén Zamora, founder and president of the now defunct elPeriódico, attended as an honorary witness. Zamora, who was imprisoned for 812 days and still faces several legal proceedings as retaliation for his investigative journalism, was present with his son José after being released on October 19 under house arrest.
Arévalo declared that "this is not a symbolic signature; it represents a personal and governmental commitment to respect, guarantee, and defend freedom of expression in Guatemala."
"No democracy is stable or solid without its foundational pillars: access to information and, on the other hand, freedom of expression. Citizens have the right to know, to question, to express opinions, and to be heard," added Arévalo.
Dutriz, president and general director of La Prensa Gráfica in El Salvador, expressed satisfaction with Arévalo's signing of the Declaration of Chapultepec. He emphasized the damaging impact of punishing freedom of expression, noting, "What we seek is understanding, open dialogue, and public debate to foster stability and democratic development across societies."
The IAPA president added in a message to local press, "we are pleased for Guatemala." He highlighted that with gestures like this, "we see progress from the government," and he hoped for "a more favorable environment for carrying out our work."
The signing followed a review of the document by the Guatemalan Presidency, which took place after a January meeting between Arévalo and international IAPA representatives, as well as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), two weeks after Arévalo took office. The IAPA also left it to the President's advisors to study the recently updated Declaration of Salta II, adopted during the General Assembly in Córdoba. The Declaration of Chapultepec, adopted in 1994, outlines 10 principles summarizing the importance of public freedoms and human rights, underscoring that freedom of expression is the "engine and starting point of basic human rights."
Referring to the circumstances that led to Zamora's imprisonment, the President of Guatemala called on the Attorney General's office to "end the arbitrary persecution of journalists." Zamora, in a brief statement after the signing, thanked the press for his house arrest. "Journalists got me out," he said, expressing gratitude to the IAPA, local journalists, other international organizations, and the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Before signing the declaration, Arévalo and the IAPA delegation discussed the state of the press in Guatemala, particularly the high number of journalists who remain in exile due to judicial persecution under the previous government. The President expressed concern about this issue and indicated he is in communication with those forced to leave the country.
The 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.
