Mr. President,
The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) has been investigating murders of journalists in the Americas and has come to the conclusion that in the majority of cases justice has been slow in being done, due to negligence, apathy and wrongdoing. In may of these cases the police inquiries and legal process have inexplicably halted and have indeed become obstacles to attempts to bring those responsible for the crimes to justice.

The IAPA is determined to put an end to such impunity, a task in which it has the wide support of the international community. That is why we take the liberty of calling your attention to the fate of Brazilian journalist Nivanildo Barbosa Lima.

He was found dead at the Paulo Alfon so dam to the north of Bahia, Brazil, on July 22, 1995. He had written about death squads in his local newspaper, Ponto do Encontro. Initial theories were that he had committed suicide. So the case was shelved, but reopened in 2002. Now nearly 15 years later the investigation into the crime has not concluded.

We would request, Mr. President, you attention to this case that has gone unpunished for 15 years. We would be grateful for you to take the relevant action to speed up the police inquiries and legal process so as to bring the guilty to justice. Only in that way will the death of this journalist not become just another statistic in the list of unsolved murders in the Americas.

Sincerely,

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