Security conditions are unfavorable for the press in Haiti and Latin America, acknowledges the Inter American Press Association

MIAMI, United States.— The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) expresses its concern about the situation of the press in Haiti. Following a semi-annual meeting, held on April 24 and 25, the organization highlighted the difficult conditions faced by press workers in the country.

Haitian senior journalist, Joseph Guyler C Delva, took part in this virtual conference as the IAPA's regional Vice-president for Haiti. This was an opportunity for the general secretary of SOS Journalists Haiti to present his assessment of the press situation.

In his remarks, Delva noted that since October 2024, at least two Haitian journalists have been killed in the exercise of their profession and another is missing. Several others have been threatened, assaulted, and/or denied access to information.

“Furthermore, during the same period, the situation is no better in Latin America, the IAPA noted. About ten journalists have been murdered for reasons apparently related to their professional work, including one in Colombia, one in Ecuador, one in Guatemala, four in Mexico, and one in Peru, the organization reported, highlighting a high level of impunity due to a lack of interest in revealing what lies behind these attacks.”

According to the organization, this unfavorable climate for the press is the consequence of persistent institutional deterioration in a large part of the continent, which results in a lack or absence of guarantees for the exercise of free journalism.

The weakening of press freedom and freedom of expression makes it difficult to promote a broad and pluralistic citizen debate, which, in turn, affects the democratic climate. All of this is exacerbated by the increasing limitations on access to public information in practically all countries of the Americas,” the IAPA continued.

“Growing hostility, harassment, and stigmatizing rhetoric against journalists and media from those in power have spread throughout America. In the United States, with Donald Trump's rise to power, discredit and attempts to undermine the work of journalists and companies even led to an information blackout.”

The Inter American Press Association stated that journalists and media face a hostile reality: from physical violence to judicial harassment, from economic censorship to public stigmatization,” it concluded.