Remarks by IAPA President José Roberto Dutriz

In this context, the IAPA reaffirms its unwavering commitment to defend freedom of expression and the public’s right to be informed. I would also like to highlight another key instrument that strengthens our role in actively monitoring the state of press freedom in the region: international advocacy missions.

Over the past six months, the IAPA has conducted on-site visits to Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, and Peru, with the purpose of directly assessing the conditions under which journalism is practiced, engaging with authorities, media, and civil society organizations, and promoting the principles enshrined in the Declarations of Chapultepec and Salta II.

These missions have served not only as powerful tools for denouncing and verifying violations, but also as key vehicles to elevate press freedom to the highest levels of national institutional agendas.

In Guatemala, for example, the public signing of the Declaration of Chapultepec by President Bernardo Arévalo was a hopeful milestone. His pledge to end the judicial persecution of journalists marks a turning point after years of harassment and was accompanied by the symbolic presence of José Rubén Zamora, who had been unjustly imprisoned for over 800 days. Unfortunately, Zamora has since returned to prison.

In Panama, President José Raúl Mulino, the President of the National Assembly, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court all signed the Declarations of Chapultepec and Salta II in an act that reinforces the institutional commitment to freedom of expression. During the mission, we engaged in dialogue about persistent challenges such as defamation lawsuits, misuse of asset seizure laws, and the need for equitable and transparent allocation of government advertising.

However, not everything we documented was encouraging. The missions to Costa Rica and Peru revealed alarming setbacks that must deeply concern us. In Costa Rica, a country historically seen as a democratic benchmark, we observed an unprecedented deterioration in press and expression freedoms. President Rodrigo Chaves has promoted a hostile discourse against critical media, marked by smear campaigns, social media threats, and the public exposure of journalists’ personal data. This is compounded by discriminatory practices in government advertising and the persistence of criminal defamation laws that violate international standards. Regrettably, the president declined to meet with our delegation.

In Peru, the situation is equally worrisome. We found a structural deterioration in conditions for independent journalism, exacerbated by the country’s political and institutional crisis. The judiciary is increasingly being used as a tool to silence journalists, particularly those investigating corruption. In addition, we observed severe restrictions on access to public information, weakening of pluralism in state media, and the advancement of regressive legislative proposals.

These findings are not anecdotal, they reflect a trend that threatens the democratic foundations of our societies. That is why IAPA missions are so important. They allow us to provide direct solidarity to threatened journalists and media, promote concrete institutional commitments, and alert the international community to critical situations that often unfold far from the global media spotlight.

We will continue to use these platforms not only for dialogue, but also to denounce them when necessary. There is no effective defense of press freedom without being present on the ground, without active listening, without international pressure, and without a firm resolve to expose every threat, every setback, and every hard-earned advance.

One of the most serious challenges we face today is the unchecked spread of disinformation. Lies —repeated and amplified by social media, artificial intelligence, and opaque algorithms— travel at a speed that facts cannot match. Truth is often disregarded in an ecosystem that rewards scandal, polarizes audiences, and misinforms the public.

In the face of this phenomenon, the media has an essential responsibility: to provide rigorous, high-quality information. This is not just about correcting errors or debunking falsehoods —it is about rebuilding public trust in journalism.

In this regard, fighting disinformation must not be purely reactive: it must be part of a structural strategy. We need to strengthen our newsrooms, invest in fact-checking, educate our audiences, and collaborate more with one another. The IAPA is committed to supporting media in this critical task, promoting high standards of journalism and backing projects that foster transparency and help fight this threat to democracy effectively.

We also know that current challenges cannot be faced alone. That’s why I want to highlight the importance of our collaboration with national press associations. The synergy between the IAPA and these organizations is key to advancing a coordinated, long-term strategy. The threats we face are complex, evolving, and often transnational. They require collective responses, information sharing, effective solidarity, and strong institutional defense.

This collaboration has enabled us to respond swiftly to attacks against journalists, launch regional advocacy campaigns, build protection networks, and generate shared knowledge on best practices in defending press freedom. Our commitment to national associations is not just institutional —it’s a conviction: no one defends press freedom in a country better than those who live and practice it every day on the ground.

I also want to highlight a particularly valuable initiative that reflects our concrete response to new realities facing journalism in the region. I refer to the Latin American Network of Journalism in Exile, launched by the IAPA in 2024 under the leadership of former president Roberto Rock. At a time when dozens of journalists have been forced to flee their countries for doing their job bravely—or have been internally displaced due to threats, this network serves as a bridge of support, visibility, and protection.

We listened to their testimonies, shared their stories, and worked to ensure their voices continue to have an impact—even from exile. This initiative reflects not only our solidarity, but also a new dimension of regional journalism: one that rebuilds itself through forced displacement, that continues investigating, reporting, and denouncing, even far from home.

Along those lines, we have also partnered with Vita Activa, an organization specializing in mental health and psychosocial support, to offer emotional care to journalists in exile. We know that there is no free journalism if those who practice it lack the basic human and emotional conditions to do so. This alliance shows that protecting the press is not just a legal or political task, it is also a human one, grounded in care and support.

Finally, and no less importantly, I want to address a crucial aspect of press freedom: the sustainability of media. There is no free journalism without viable media outlets. And in a context of technological disruption, advertising concentration, and shifting news consumption habits, ensuring the financial sustainability of journalism enterprises is an essential part of our agenda.

In this sense, I would like to highlight the work we’ve been doing with the support of the Google News Initiative through the Digital Revenue Accelerator. Now in its second phase, this initiative has already benefited dozens of media outlets across Latin America by providing training, mentorship, and practical tools to strengthen business models, diversify revenue, and better seize the opportunities of the digital environment.

Thanks to this project, many newsrooms have improved their content offerings, strengthened subscription and advertising strategies, and increased their financial resilience. These kinds of strategic partnerships —based on respect for editorial independence— are vital to ensuring a future for quality journalism in our region.

Sustainability is not just an economic challenge; it is a democratic imperative. When media outlets cannot survive, public debate suffers, oversight of power diminishes, and communities lose their voice. In many parts of Latin America, local media face critical conditions: loss of advertising revenue, pressure from governments or corporations, and a digital ecosystem that favors volume over quality. That’s why the IAPA continues to call for public policies that promote pluralism and informational diversity without undue interference or editorial strings attached.

At the same time, we urge media companies to decisively embrace transformation. Innovation is part of the answer. We must continue exploring new narratives, new ways to connect with audiences, and new revenue models that safeguard our independence. Investing in quality journalism is not only an ethical responsibility; it is also a strategic decision to survive in a competitive, fragmented, and oversaturated information environment. Our sustainability is also the sustainability of the right to information.

The IAPA remains firmly committed to defending press freedom —and that commitment grows stronger when it is built through collaboration, strategic alliances, the rigorous pursuit of truth, and the shared conviction that there is no full democracy without independent journalism.

I sincerely thank you for your presence and participation. Every effort, from every outlet, contributes to our collective task of ensuring that our societies can access the information they need to make informed decisions.

Welcome, and may we have a successful and productive meeting!