13 October 2005
PRESS FREEDOM CHALLENGED: IAPA
Press freedom in the Americas has faced fundamental challenges in the past six months, including an unprecedented wave of violence against reporters in Mexico and the continuing repression of independent journalists in Cuba, says the Inter American Press Association's (IAPA).
At its mid-year meeting in Indianapolis, U.S.A., IAPA said the violence against journalists in Mexico is the worst the country has seen in recent years. At least three journalists have been murdered, and another remains missing. Drug traffickers and corrupt security forces along the U.S.-Mexico border are the main culprits.
In Cuba, 26 journalists remain imprisoned on trumped-up charges of subversion. IAPA says many of them suffer serious medical ailments. Two of them are on hunger strike to protest their prison conditions.
IAPA also expressed concern over moves by the U.S. government to "substantially reduce" the amount of information it is willing to release under access to information legislation. On a positive note, no journalists were killed in Colombia over the last six months, noted IAPA.
Visit:
- IAPA: http://tinyurl.com/crere
- Report on Mexico: http://www.sipiapa.org/pulications/report_mexico2005.cfm
- Press Freedom Reports on 25 Countries: http://www.sipiapa.org/pulications/anualrep2005.cfm
- Updates on Cuba: http://sipiapa.com/cuba/espanol/default.htm
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