WASHINGTON, USA – The Organization of American States (OAS) today paid tribute to journalists murdered in the Americas, at an event organized by the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (SRFOE) of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in the framework of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, commemorated on November 2.
At the tribute, held in front of the memorial to murdered journalists in the gardens of the OAS in Washington DC, the secretary-general of the OAS, Luis Almagro, said “no journalist should pay with their life for doing their job. The price of truth should never be death. The impunity of these crimes is a price that our democracies cannot afford to pay.”
The Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (SRFOE) of the IACHR, Pedro Vaca, said “impunity not only perpetuates the cycle of violence against the press, but also sends a devastating message: reporting has a price that is paid for with life.”
For his part, the chair of the Group of Friends of the Permanent Council for Freedom of Expression and Journalism, and permanent representative of Ecuador to the OAS, Mauricio Montalvo, said that he considers it essential to “reflect on freedom of the press as a priority and constant responsibility. Protecting journalists not only represents a moral obligation, but is an essential condition for the proper functioning of our societies and our democracies.”
The permanent representative of Guatemala to the OAS, Claudia Escobar, said “we are firmly committed to eradicating any act that limits human rights and violates the law. We aspire to a world where freedom of expression is protected and never paid for with life. Let us join forces so that no journalist faces death for his or her work.”
The IACHR Rapporteur for Memory, Truth and Justice, Andrea Pochack, said that the memorial ar the OAS, the work of the Argentine-American artist Stephanie Mercedes, “reinforces the commitment of the OAS and all its member states to continue fighting for freedom of expression. Each murdered journalist represents an attempt to silence not only an individual voice, but to restrict the collective right to information.”
Also participating in the ceremony was Amanda Villavicencio, daughter of journalist and former Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was murdered during a campaign event last year. In her words, Amanda Villavicencio called on defenders of democracy to “unite our courage and add our voices demanding international sanctions against those who use journalism to cover up organized crime. Our objective is clear: that this tragedy not be repeated in any family or in any democracy.”
Since 1998, 537 journalists have been murdered in the Americas. This year alone, 19 journalists, men and women, have died while working in the profession.
