(October 20, 2014) During the inauguration of the 70th General Assembly of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Alicia Bárcena, and IAPA President Elizabeth Ballantine stressed today that freedom of speech is an essential value in democracy that must be accompanied by media independence and pluralism.
At the ceremony held at ECLAC's headquarters in Santiago, Chile, Michelle Bachelet said that freedom of speech is an "essential principle" in democracy and she rejected "any restrictive state intervention in that freedom." She also emphasized the need to guarantee pluralism and ensure that both authorities and the media protect citizens' right to information.
Elizabeth Ballantine, IAPA's President, highlighted that "no individual or society can be free without freedom of expression and of the press," a concept enshrined in the first principle of the Chapultepec Declaration, signed 20 years ago. She denounced that today "many anti-democratic actions threaten freedom of speech in the Americas."
ECLAC's Executive Secretary also stressed that "the freedom of speech is a non-negotiable, foundational value for democratic coexistence," and recognized the progress made in terms of informational pluralism. However, she contended that political and social diversity are still described in a biased way and that the concentration of media ownership can restrict variety in points of view.
Alicia Bárcena also lamented the risks that journalists face, which have translated into the death or disappearance of 464 reporters in the region since 1987. "Their commitment to efforts to give our people a true reflection of their reality has taken a toll that should never have been exacted," she said.
In the inauguration, which was attended by directors and editors of newspapers and news agencies from various countries that are members of IAPA, Chile's Foreign Relations Minister Heraldo Muñoz and Minister General Secretariat of Government of Chile Álvaro Elizalde, also took part.
Founded in 1942 and with its headquarters in Miami (United States), IAPA groups some 1,300 publications from more than 30 countries. This organization holds its General Assembly every year in October, alternating between Latin America and North America. The rest of the activities of this 70th General Assembly are being carried out from October 17 to 21 at the Hotel W, in the Chilean capital.
