The IAPA is to send letters to the governments of Brazil, Colombia, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico and Peru in which it will call for immediate action to halt violence against news media and journalists and a review of legal proceedings in still unpunished crimes, some of them in danger of becoming subject to statutes of limitations.

The requests to the various authorities around the Americas are contained in resolutions, official IAPA documents that deal with issues raised during the organization’s recently ended Midyear Meeting, held in Cádiz, Spain, April 20-23.

In the case of Honduras what is urged is for the government to show greater political will and make more effort to put an end to the culture of violence and abuses of the press and to solve the cases of murder of journalists. In Mexico the federal Congress is asked to speed up moves for enactment of amendment to Article 73 of the Constitution that will make crimes committed against freedom of expression federal offenses.

In Peru, the judiciary is urged to pursue the proceedings in the case of the 2004 murder of journalist Alberto Rivera Fernández, punishing in an exemplary manner those who masterminded the crime. In Haiti, officials are called upon to continue investigations into the violent death of Jean Léopold Dominique 12 years ago, so as to do away with the impotence that is generated by a lack of justice and of punishment in this case.

To see the resolutions please go to http://www.impunidad.com/resoluciones.php?showresoluciones=all&idioma=sp&id=48