Miami (September 28, 2026) — The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) expresses its rejection of a recent ruling by a court in the Argentine province of Formosa that sentenced four members of a journalistic team to five days in jail, replaceable by a fine, and warns that conditioning the practice of journalism on accreditation constitutes a serious restriction on freedom of expression.
The Las Lomitas Minor Offenses Court sentenced journalist Micaela Urdinez, cameraman Lautaro Guillamondegui, sound technician Joaquín Rajadel, and audiovisual director Javier Corbalán, members of the Hambre de Futuro team of La Nación+, for coverage conducted in September 2025 in the San José Community, which belongs to the Nivaclé Indigenous people, according to press reports.
The ruling, signed by Judge Omar Padilla, imposed five days in jail, replaceable by a fine of 282,550 pesos for each journalist, on the grounds that they violated Article 73 of the provincial Minor Offenses Code by carrying out an activity without meeting prior requirements, according to press reports. Among the arguments cited by the court was the lack of accreditation to practice journalism.
“It is concerning that the work of informing the public could result in a jail sentence and that the practice of journalism could be conditioned on an authorization or credential. We urge that this criterion be reviewed and the ruling reconsidered in light of Inter-American freedom of expression standards,” said Pierre Manigault, president of IAPA and chairman of Evening Post Publishing Inc., of Charleston, South Carolina.
IAPA recalled that freedom of expression includes the right of all people to seek, receive, and disseminate information, and that the practice of journalism is not a concession granted by authorities, as established in the Chapultepec Declaration. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights established this principle in its Advisory Opinion OC-5/85 on the compulsory licensing of journalists.
Martha Ramos, chair of IAPA’s Press and Information Freedom Commission and editorial director of Organización Editorial Mexicana (OEM), said: “This ruling sets a dangerous precedent because it turns an essentially informational activity into conduct subject to punishment and opens the door for an authority to determine who is authorized to practice journalism. Credentials may serve to facilitate access, but they can never become a government permit to investigate, ask questions, or report.”
The organization noted that the Argentine Association of Journalistic Entities (ADEPA) also strongly rejected the ruling and warned that “in Argentina, no license, professional registration, or government authorization is required to be a journalist, investigate, ask questions, or disseminate information.” ADEPA further argued that making a professional credential a condition for practicing journalism amounts to establishing a prior authorization mechanism incompatible with a democratic society.
The IAPA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and freedom of expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 media outlets across the Western Hemisphere and is headquartered in Miami, Florida, United States.
