This report from the Peter D. Bell Rule of Law Program and Edison Lanza provides a succinct assessment of freedom of expression developments in the Americas in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Catharine Christie, Edison Lanza, Michael Camilleri
On May 20, 2020, the Inter-American Dialogue, Global Affairs Canada and the Office of the Special Rapporteur of Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights hosted “Voices in the Pandemic – Covid-19 and Freedom of Expression in the Americas” to discuss the implications of the Covid-19 pandemic on freedom of expression and disinformation, especially in light of emergency measures taken across the hemisphere that limit human rights and access to information.
On November 19, 2019, the Inter-American Dialogue, in partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalists, hosted the event, “Attacks on Press Freedom in Nicaragua.” The conversation centered around the Nicaraguan government’s persistent attempts to stifle freedom of expression since anti-government protests broke out in April 2018.
A summary of the conclusions and recommendations from the Inter-American Dialogue and Fundamedios USA’s second annual Media and Democracy in the Americas conference.
Peter D. Bell Rule of Law Program, Fundamedios USA
On July 16, 2019, the Inter-American Dialogue, in partnership with Reporters without Borders, hosted an event called, “No News is Not Good News: Combating Pervasive Violence Against Journalists in Mexico”.
On April 24, the Inter-American Dialogue in partnership with Reports Without Borders (RSF) and the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (RFOE) of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) hosted an event titled “Freedom of Expression in the Americas: Persistent Threats and Emerging Challenges.” This discussion, which was moderated by Michael Camilleri, featured panelists Edison Lanza from IACHR, Margaux Ewen from RSF, Viviana Krsticevic from the Center for Justice and International Law, and Tracy Wilkinson from the Los Angeles Times. This conversation aimed to analyze persistent threats, emerging challenges, and potential solutions for protecting freedom of expression in the Americas.
On November 15, the Inter-American Dialogue hosted the event “Corruption, Internet Freedom, and Online Privacy in Latin America,” bringing together panelists to discuss a report recently published by the Inter-American Dialogue about freedom of expression and the concept of the “Right to be Forgotten.” The event’s panelists included Catalina Botero, Edison Lanza, José Luis Piñar, Romina Mella, and Michael Camilleri. The panel explored the concept of the “Right to be Forgotten” in the context of Latin America, considering the tension between privacy and transparency, and how European privacy standards can be adapted for the Americas.