The IFEX-ALC, along with the National Association of the Press of Bolivia will be presenting the alliance's Annual Report on Impunity 2013 on 21 November, in La Paz. Bolivia is one of the countries in the region in which the impunity for murders of journalists is prevalent.
The IFEX-ALC, IFEX’s Latin American & Caribbean alliance is organising, in collaboration with its member the National Association of the Press of Bolivia (ANP), the official presentation of the Annual Report on Impunity 2013 “Faces and Traces of Freedom of Expression in Latin America and the Caribbean“, and the Round Table “Impunity Context in Bolivia”. The event will take place on Thursday 21 and Friday 22 November, in the city of La Paz, Bolivia.
After publishing its first impunity report in November 2012, IFEX-ALC has serious concerns about the current situation of violence against journalists. This harsh reality in the region is worsening with the several murders that have been perpetrated amidst a general atmosphere of impunity, without the appropriate measures being taken to address them. The Annual Report on Impunity 2013 “Faces and Traces of Freedom of Expression in Latin America and the Caribbean” accounts for these situations, further explores the emblematic cases of impunity and gives recommendations for each country.
Bolivia is one of the countries in the region in which the impunity of murders of journalists is prevalent. The country is now discussing a media law that does not address the issue and for this reason, the IFEX-ALC has chosen its capital city, La Paz, to launch the Annual Report on Impunity 2013.
The official presentation of the Report is one of the main events to commemorate the International Day to End Impunity, established in 2011 as a tribute to the 32 journalists and media workers killed in the Ampatuan Massacre (Philippines, 2009). From the 1st of this month a campaign has been promoted in different countries of the world to demand justice for those who have been targets of attacks for exercising their right to freedom of expression, and to shed light on the question of impunity.
Debate on the Annual Report of Impunity
The Debate on the Annual Report on Impunity will open with an overview of the regional situation and then the emblematic cases of impunity on the following topics and countries:
• “Violent times” – Mexico, Article 19 Mexico and Central America
• “State Asphyxiation” of private media – Ecuador, Andean Foundation for Media Observation and Study (FUNDAMEDIOS)
• “A more subtle violence” – Argentina, Foro de Periodismo Argentino (FOPEA)
• “International Justice, is there hope?” – Colombia, Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP)
• “SOS Journalists” – Brazil, Article 19 Brazil
In addition, Antonio Vargas of the Association of Journalists of La Paz (APLP) will present an analysis on “An environment of violence”.
Working groups
On the second day, three groups will be working on the topics of freedom of expression, impunity and other regional realities:
The first roundtable on impunity, free expression, indigenous studies and racial discrimination will be led by the Center for Informative Reports on Guatemala (CERIGUA). The second roundtable will open with the issue of public and community media concentration; FOPEA and Radio Education of Bolivia (ERBOL) will lead this group. The third working group will debate the topic of new media and ICTs: New scenarios and risks for free expression, led by Derechos Digitales Chile, and Article 19 Mexico and Central America.
Roundtable
The activities organised by IFEX-ALC and ANP Bolivia will conclude on the morning of Friday, 22 November, with a panel discussion featuring former Vice President Victor Hugo Cardenas, who will speak on the topic: “Politics and the press.”
On that same day, the Director of the newspaper Los Tiempos de Cochabamba, Juan Cristobal Soruco, will speak about “Tormenting Relations”, while the former Ombudsman, Waldo Albarracin, will discuss the inverted role of justice, and the director of the Uno magazine of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Maggy Talavera, will speak on “New forms of aggression and judicial harassment”.
The Bolivian Journalists Association of La Paz (APLP), Radio Education of Bolivia (ERBOL) and other organisations representing radio stations in rural areas, among others, have been invited to the commemoration celebrations and official presentation of the IFEX-ALC 2013 Report on Impunity.
IFEX-ALC
