García, special guest at the 33rd IAB General Assembly, on behalf of the IAPA saluted the signing of the Declaration of Chapultepec, which contains ten principles on free speech. “This decision shows that the Ecuadorian people are in agreement and committed to its basic principles,” stated the director of the Mexican newspaper Novedades de Quintana Roo following the signing ceremony.
The Declaration’s endorsement, which had already been signed in August 1999 by then President Jamil Mahuad, stirred controversy in the country since the Government disagreed with Principle 8 of the declaration which states that membership to an association or trade organization for journalists be strictly voluntary. In Ecuador, journalists are forced to obtain a degree in journalism in order to practice the profession.
The IAPA President mentioned that violations to freedom of the press in Ecuador
and the other countries of the Americas will be discussed at the organization’s
upcoming meeting, scheduled in Chicago on October 10-14.
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