IAB held a forum on freedom of expression in the Americas in Costa Rica
On May 13, in the framework of the meeting of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Broadcasting (IAB), the Forum on “The Situation of Freedom of Expression in the Americas” was held. The event took place at the Real Intercontinental Hotel in San José, Costa Rica, and was moderated by Dr. Paulo Tonet Camargo, President of the IAB.
The forum featured the participation of distinguished panelists:
- Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Echeverría, Former President of the Republic of Costa Rica.
- Pedro Vaca Villareal, Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
- Rodolfo Piza Rocafort, lawyer and advisor to the National Chamber of Broadcasting (CANARA).
- Gustavo Román Jacobo, Director General of Strategy and Political Management of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Costa Rica.
- Yanancy Noguera Calderón, President of the Journalists and Communication Professionals Association of Costa Rica.
- Ana María Urrutia de Lara, President of the IAB Committee on Freedom of Expression – “Dr. Héctor Oscar Amengual”.
The purpose of the forum was to analyze in depth the current state of freedom of expression in the Americas, with a special focus on contexts where this right is threatened or directly undermined, as is currently the case in Costa Rica.
Topics included the role of radio as a vehicle for exercising this right, the impact of misinformation, post-truth, hate speech, and the risks posed by institutional, economic, and administrative pressures on private and independent media outlets.
The forum was structured in four segments:
Segment 1: Three keynote presentations:
- The State of Freedom of Expression in the Americas (Pedro Vaca).
- The Case of Costa Rica: Warning Signs (Miguel Ángel Rodríguez).
- Economic Pressure and Government Advertising (Yanancy Noguera).
Segment 2: Thematic panel discussions:
- Censorship and Repression in Latin America (Pedro Vaca).
- Post-truth and Hate Speech (Gustavo Román and Rodolfo Piza).
- Government, Press, and Advertising (Miguel Ángel Rodríguez and Yanancy Noguera).
- Threats to Radio Licenses in Costa Rica (Rodolfo Piza and Gustavo Román).
- Strategies for defending freedom of expression & IAB initiatives to protect media independence (Ana María Urrutia de Lara).
Segment 3: Audience Q&A.
Segment 4: Forum closing remarks.
Key proposals included the creation of a stronger international protection framework for journalists and independent media in Latin America, as well as monitoring and reporting mechanisms before international organizations. The forum also raised alarm over attempts to restrict private broadcasting, especially in Costa Rica.
Conclusions reaffirmed that freedom of expression is an essential and irreplaceable pillar of democracy, and that its defense must be a priority against any form of censorship or intimidation. Particular concern was expressed regarding the deterioration of this right in Costa Rica under the current Executive Branch, highlighting the use of threatening rhetoric by high-level authorities against independent media, fostering self-censorship and directly undermining press freedom.
Costa Rica Charter
As part of the forum, the Costa Rica Charter was presented, a document in which the IAB reaffirms its commitment to defending radio and television frequency concessions as a right and opposes any attempt at interference that may threaten citizens’ freedom of expression.
Click here to read the “Costa Rica Charter”