WHEREAS freedom of expression and of the press are essential pillars for democratic reconstruction, particularly in the exceptional, complex, and evolving context that Venezuela is experiencing following the events of January 3, 2026
IAPA Midyear Meeting. April 23 - 24, 2026.
WHEREAS freedom of expression and of the press are essential pillars for democratic reconstruction, particularly in the exceptional, complex, and evolving context that Venezuela is experiencing following the events of January 3, 2026
WHEREAS the public agenda of the current political transition process has systematically excluded these freedoms, affecting the full, free, and independent exercise of journalism
WHEREAS judicial persecution, forced exile, digital censorship, confiscation of media outlets, and information blockades affecting both national and international media constitute an environment incompatible with any process of democratic recovery
WHEREAS journalists have been subjected to judicial persecution, arrest warrants, forced exile, administrative restrictions, and confiscation of property and media outlets, generating an environment of censorship and self-censorship
WHEREAS the comprehensive protection of journalism and the restoration of its professional and civil rights are essential to guarantee the public’s right to be informed
WHEREAS that Principles 4 and 5 of the Declaration of Chapultepec establish that “terrorism, kidnapping, intimidation, the unjust imprisonment of journalists, the destruction of facilities, violence of any kind and impunity for perpetrators” severely restrict freedom of expression and of the press, as well as that “restrictions on the circulation of the media or dissemination of their reports, forced publication of information, the imposition of obstacles to the free flow of news, and restrictions on the activities and movements of journalists directly contradict freedom of the press”
WHEREAS that the Declaration of Salta II on Principles of Freedom of Expression in the Digital Age establishes in Principles 3 and 5 that “governments should not inhibit, through regulation or action, access to the Internet and expressions of public interest in the digital space; nor should they impose aggravated sanctions against self-expression in that space nor penalize criticism, information, or protest against public officials or individuals who voluntarily expose themselves to public scrutiny on matters of public interest,” and that “blocking and filtering access and/or content through state control in the digital space constitutes prior censorship, according to the American Convention on Human Rights.”
THE IAPA MIDYEAR MEETING RESOLVES
To urge the transitional authorities in Venezuela to urgently guarantee freedom of expression and of the press
To demand the lifting of information blockades that prevent access to national and international media outlets
To call for guarantees of legal and personal protection for persecuted journalists and the immediate cessation of arbitrary judicial proceedings and arrest warrants
To insist on the restoration of the right to identity and mobility for journalists affected by administrative restrictions
To demand the return of confiscated property and media assets as part of the institutional normalization of the country
To call for the comprehensive protection of journalistic practice against threats from state actors or irregular groups
To demand that journalists recently released be able to fully exercise their work without restrictions or reprisals.
