IAPA--GUARDIAN OF LIBERTY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01315R000300220024-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 21, 2004
• Sequence Number: 24
• Publication Date: July 1, 1965
• Content Type: NSPR

TBE LATIN AMERICAN TIMES
Approved For Release 200/'13:-CIA-RQPB8=0131 0300220024-2
5
Press Freedom Anniversary Marked
IAPA -- Guardian of Liberty
By ANDRE PERON
Of The Latin American Time. Staff
The Inter American Press Association paused
.in its hemisphere-wide activities to' mark the
twelfth anniversary of Press Freedom Day.
Newspaper members from most of the coun-
tries of the Western Hemisphere editorially
hailCd the freedom they enjoy.
One of the main objectives of the Inter
American Press Association (IAPA), a non-
~ profit organization, is to guard the freedom
of the press. But its activities cover a far
more extensive field. It works to promote and
I maintain the dignity, rights and responsibilities
of Journalism; to encourage uniform standards
of professional and business conduct,
THE IAPA provides journalism scholarships
(both to North Americans and Latin Americans
land works toward a wider knowledge and
'greater Inter-change among the peoples of
America in support of the basic principles, of
a free society and individual liberty.
On June 7, the day ' of this year's commemo-
ration, Pedro ?G. Beltran of La Prensa, Lima,
Peru, and the IAPA president for 1964-65, is-
sued a statement which read in part:
"For the last 12 years the 7th of June has
been set aside as Freedom of the Press Day.
We observe it as a day of rejoicing in those
countries where the press can ascertain its
frights. But we must maintain a stubborn
plan was not to see the light for 16 years.
It was not until 1942 that the Mexican gov-
ernment and a group of Mexican publishers
called another meeting of journalists to for-
mally establish the organization. In the years
that followed meetings took place in different'
parts of the hemisphere: Havana, Bogota and
Quito,. in 1949, to which the U. S. chapter sent.'
a delegation. The reason for the U. S. delega?,
tion's presence in Quito. was two fold: 1) to..
rewrite the IAPA constitution and-2) to have
the next meeting In New York, They were,
THE IAPA, or Socieda Interamerican de,
Prensa, was up to that time largely it Latin
American organization. Very few North Ameri-
cans took part in the previous meetings. But
a small, group of U. S. editors and publishers '
with faith in the organization's future decided.
in 1946 to establish an Inter American Press
Association of the United States, as a national
chapter of the hemispheric group.
The Now York meeting in 1950 was the turn-
ing point in the history of the IAPA. Up to
that time Journalists attended the meetings as
national delegations, and in many cases dale.
gates were politicians rather than professipnal
journalists. The expeipses for the meetings
were covered .by the host governments.
It was at the 1950 meeting in New York
that changes took place, The U. S. members
supported by certain influential Latin Ameri-
can publishers, managed to secure approval
of a new Charter and By-laws. In effect, It
was a declaration of independence that would
allow the organization to pursue its purpose
without outside commitments.
Although it had many ups and downs-
through the years and especially in 1951 when
the reorganized IAPA had to 'start practically
from scratch, with few members and an empty
treasury, today it is an impressive organiza-
tion with over 600 member publications, in-
cluding virtually all the major dailies and
magazines of the Western Hemisphere.
The growing list of newspapermen whose
lives have been saved or were released 'front
prison through the efforts of the Inter Ameri-
can Press Association and the many papers
that were- allowed to reappear (and the press
restrictions that have been revoked), directly.,
or indirectly because of the. IAPA,? are the'
conclusive, proofs, of the necessity and valdo
of,sUch,an,orgenization today.-..G;
Approved For Release 2004/10/13:' CIA-RDP88-01315800030022002472
silence in mute protest where the freedom to
report the news and to express our opinion
has been trampled or is under threat.
"The day has not yet come when the IAPA
can flash a triumphant bulletin to read tersely:
'There is freedom of the press throughout the
[Americas.' This is what I would like to say
today, and every 7th of June. Such is the goal
-we? pursue. Unfortunately, and without taking
into account minor skirmishes in other places,
there is yet a number of 'countries where free-
dom of the press has been wholly suppressed
or is seriously wounded, These are our main
battle fronts."
THE BACIKOItoUNf of the IAPA can be
traced to 1926 when the Pan American Union
sponsored the First Pan American Congress of
Journalists, in Washington, it was attended by
delegates from all the Americas and a resolu-
tion calling for the establishment of a per.
manent inter-American organization of Journal-
ists ivas adopted. It wets a beginning, abut this