On Wednesday, 29 July, the Inter-American Press Society (SIP) warned about the gravity of the decline in press freedom in the United States and several countries on the continent. At the opening of the SICPonnect 2026 conference in Miami, its Executive Director, Carlos Lauria, denounced pressure on journalists, prosecution of the media, hostile rhetoric and restrictions on access to information.
In particular, SIP recalled several recent cases that raised its concern, including the judicial summons of four New York Times journalists and the arrest in Miami Beach of Venezuelan journalist Wilmer Solano by immigration authorities. According to Carlos Lauria, these practices constitute « signals which cannot be minimized » and their trivialization in the United States could have repercussions beyond American borders.
The SICPonnect 2026 conference brings together media leaders from across the region on key issues in the sector, including artificial intelligence, audience evolution and the search for sustainable business models. The meeting also coincides with the introduction of the Google News Initiative AI Video Lab, an initiative of SIP and Google aimed at strengthening the production, distribution and monetization of audiovisual content in Latin America.
