The IAPA delegation with Uruguay’s Attorney General, Mónica Ferrero (third from left to right).
Montevideo (April 8, 2026) — As part of the Inter American Press Association’s (IAPA) visit to Uruguay, the delegation met in Montevideo with Attorney General Mónica Ferrero to analyze the state of journalistic practice and the country’s institutional environment.
During the April 7 meeting, IAPA representatives expressed concern over recent situations that could affect the free exercise of journalism and compliance with international standards on freedom of expression.
IAPA officials underscored the importance of safeguarding fundamental principles such as the protection of journalistic sources and the proper conduct of authorities in relation to the work of the press, including a recent case in which a journalist was summoned by police to testify following a private defamation complaint, without involvement of the prosecutor’s office. The issue was also discussed on Monday during the meeting between the IAPA and President Orsi.
The IAPA mission is composed of First Vice President Carlos Jornet (La Voz del Interior, Argentina); former president and current Second Vice President Michael Greenspon (The New York Times, United States); Executive Committee Chair Gabriela Vivanco (La Hora, Ecuador); co-chair of the Legal Committee Martín Etchevers (Clarín, Argentina); Advisory Board member and former president Danilo Arbilla; and Executive Director Carlos Lauría.
The meeting also addressed the growing impact of organized crime in Uruguay and its potential consequences for journalistic work. In this context, both the Attorney General and the IAPA delegation agreed on the need to strengthen institutional capacities to confront this phenomenon, particularly with regard to the protection of journalists and access to information.
Ferrero emphasized the importance of promoting training and continuing education programs for prosecutors to ensure an effective response to increasingly complex scenarios requiring specialized knowledge and coordinated action.
The meeting also included a brief reference to recent episodes of violence linked to organized crime, including an attack targeting the Attorney General, underscoring the challenging environment in which both judicial work and journalism are carried out in the country.
The IAPA reiterated its willingness to collaborate with Uruguayan authorities in promoting a safe and enabling environment for journalism, in line with democratic principles and respect for freedom of expression.
On Monday, the delegation met with President Yamandú Orsi, who subsequently signed the IAPA’s Declarations of Chapultepec and Salta II.
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.