Mexico City (May 6, 2026) – In a context marked by the persistence of violence against journalists and high levels of impunity in crimes against freedom of expression, an international mission of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), accompanied by a representative of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), held a series of high-level meetings in this city with authorities from the Judiciary and the Office of the Attorney General, aimed at strengthening the institutional response to crimes against the press and promoting inter-American standards in the administration of justice.
The mission first held a working breakfast with the President of the Supreme Court, Hugo Aguilar Ortiz, who was accompanied by Amanda Pérez Bolaños, Director General of Social Communication, and Greysi Adriana Muñoz Laisequilla, private secretary to the Chief Justice.
During the meeting, the IAPA delegation highlighted the strategic importance of strengthening the training of judges on freedom of expression throughout Latin America and raised the possibility of establishing a cooperation agreement aimed at raising awareness among judicial officials about inter-American standards.
The IAPA, which has extensive experience in training judges and justice system operators, emphasized that this type of training contributes to a better understanding of the scope and limits of freedom of expression, strengthens the quality of judicial decisions, and reinforces the protection of a fundamental right for democracy.
It also expressed its willingness to actively collaborate in these efforts, contributing its experience in monitoring press freedom in the region and bringing judges closer to the concrete challenges faced by journalists and media outlets.
The delegation was composed of Roberto Rock, former president of the IAPA and director of the Mexican digital outlet La Silla Rota; María Lorente, president of the IAPA Awards Committee and Latin America director for Agence France-Presse; Armando Castilla, president of Grupo Vanguardia of Saltillo, Mexico, and co-chair of the New Ventures Committee; Carlos Lauría, executive director of the IAPA; José Zamora, regional director for the Americas at CPJ; and Colombian journalist Daniel Coronell, founder of Cambio magazine, who participated as a special guest.
The mission also met with Mariana Díaz Figueroa, Specialized Prosecutor for Human Rights at the Office of the Attorney General, and with Ruth Zenteno López, the new head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Crimes against Freedom of Expression (FEADLE), with whom it analyzed the persistence of crimes against journalists and the levels of impunity that characterize most of these cases.
In this context, the IAPA and the authorities of the justice system agreed on the advisability of exploring the creation of a joint working group to facilitate the exchange of information, strengthen institutional cooperation, and help ensure that a greater number of cases move forward effectively within the justice system.
“We leave these meetings with renewed optimism: both the dialogue with the Court and with the Prosecutor’s Office opens concrete opportunities to move forward in the fight against impunity and to strengthen the protection of press freedom in Mexico, through greater institutional cooperation and a clear commitment to inter-American standards,” Rock said.
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.
