Amid an intensifying global wave of political hostility, technological disruption and financial fragility for independent media, the Inter American Press Association (IAPA, or Sociedad Interamericana de Prensa, SIP) inaugurated its 82nd General Assembly in Bogota on Thursday. The regional summit, which brings together executives, editors and publishers from across the Western Hemisphere at the Hilton Hotel through Oct. 25, opened with a stern warning: freedom of speech is suffering an unprecedented, systemic erosion that affects both fragile regimes and historically consolidated democracies.
Opening remarks by IAPA President Pierre Manigault set a somber tone for the proceedings, framing the current moment not as a series of isolated political disputes but as an existential crisis for democratic accountability.
“Across all the Americas, press information is under pressure. The erosion of press freedom is not limited to countries with fragile institutions,” Manigault warned, pointing specifically to alarming legal and political friction in the United States. “For generations, the First Amendment has been a powerful expression of the principle that government will not interfere with a free press. However, public attacks on journalists, legal pressure against news organizations, and restrictions on access to official information remind us that this principle must not be taken for granted.”
Manigault stressed that physical violence remains a devastating reality across Latin America, where investigative reporters covering organized crime, state corruption and human rights abuses face deadly retaliation in countries such as Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala and Colombia. “Behind every martyred journalist is a devastated family, a community deprived of essential information, and a warning to others who dare to investigate,” he noted.
The collapse of commercial models: A focal point of the IAPA assembly in Bogota
While physical violence remains a major threat to reporters on the ground, regional news leaders also scrutinized the economic and technological forces undermining newsrooms. According to EL TIEMPO, whose general director, Andres Mompotes, delivered an opening address, the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence and the uncompensated use of editorial intellectual property represent critical structural challenges. Mompotes argued that technology conglomerates train their algorithms on decades of human reporting without authorization or compensation, while synthetic content threatens to dilute reliable information.
“The models of artificial intelligence feed greedily and without restraint on the content that we media outlets have produced over years with teams of journalists trained in human interaction,” Mompotes stated. He called for unified hemispheric strategies to defend intellectual property rights and secure fair compensation for professional newsgathering.
Mompotes also underscored the persistent violence in Colombia. Local reports from EL TIEMPO indicate that an average of two Colombian journalists have been murdered annually since 2022. “A single journalist fallen for fulfilling their duty should shake any democracy,” Mompotes emphasized.
Adding to the economic diagnosis, Jose Antonio de Brigard, president of RCN, criticized the structural shift in regional advertising spending. He noted that corporate marketing budgets have moved away from aligning brands with verified journalism and toward programmatic advertising algorithms that prioritize raw impressions over editorial integrity.
“As a society, we demand reliable information, independent journalists, and media capable of investigating and monitoring power,” de Brigard remarked. “But at the same time, a growing share of the resources that historically supported this work is shifting toward platforms that do not necessarily assume the same editorial responsibilities. We are economically weakening those whom we demand to be ever stronger.”
The Declaration of Chapultepec: A constitutional shield for press freedom
A focal point of the opening ceremony came when Bogota Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan formally signed both the Declaration of Chapultepec and the updated Salta II Declaration on behalf of the capital city.
First adopted on March 11, 1994, at the Castle of Chapultepec in Mexico City, the Declaration of Chapultepec serves as a benchmark for freedom of speech across the Americas. Drafted by legal scholars, journalists and constitutional experts under the auspices of the IAPA, the declaration’s 10 principles assert that a free press is not a concession granted by states but a fundamental human right indispensable to democracy.
Its foundational principles state that no law or government act may limit freedom of speech or the press. They also oppose state monopolies over newsprint or broadcast frequencies, direct or indirect censorship, discriminatory placement of official advertising and mandatory licensing of journalists. The declaration further calls on state institutions to guarantee full public access to official records and impose severe penalties for crimes against media workers.
Complementing this framework, the Salta II Declaration, updated in 2024, adapts these principles to digital environments, establishing ethical and legal guidelines to protect news publishing against algorithmic suppression, unauthorized AI scraping and digital surveillance.
By signing the declarations, Galan pledged that his administration would respect press scrutiny and refrain from creating obstacles for investigative reporters. “Efforts to protect, preserve, and promote journalism in our country must begin with those of us who govern,” Galan declared, acknowledging that while social media expands political discourse, it cannot replace the rigor of professional investigative journalism.