Freedom of Speech and Press: ¿Where is Panamá going?

Abstract

This text describes the state of freedom of expression and of the press in the Republic of Panama, according to the results shown in the first edition of the Chapultepec Index (ICH) of the Inter-American Press Association (SIP). The ICH is a measurement tool —the first of its kind— developed on the principles of the Chapultepec and Salta declarations, adopted by this institution in 1994 and 2018, respectively. Likewise, this article reports on some events occurred after the disclosure of this report, which could be setting a worrying course with respect to the rights to free expression and the press in the country. Finally, we drawn our attention to the commitments signed by Panama in this matter.