“President Gustavo Petro has signed today [Sept. 9] a directive that seeks to promote good practices and ethical conduct that align with the social and democratic responsibilities linked to the guarantee of freedom of expression and of the press. At the initiative of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), this directive aims to reinforce the duty that falls on public officials when issuing public statements, especially in their interaction with journalists, communicators and the media, when addressing issues related to the fulfillment of their duties.
The established guidelines include the duty that public servants, in the exercise of their duties, refrain from making statements that encourage stigmatization or discrimination against the press. Likewise, the directive urges officials to avoid making statements that could be interpreted as incitements to violence or discrimination and to foster an environment of respect, dialogue and tolerance towards all opinions and contributions to public debate. Likewise, the importance of public officials guaranteeing access to truthful, impartial and timely public information is emphasized, avoiding the use of their influence to censor ideas, opinions or information critical of authorities or officials.”
