Inter American Press Association (IAPA) president Gonzalo Marroquín and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation were honored with Press Freedom Awards this week at the Institute of the Americas in La Jolla, California, IAPA announced.
According to El Universal, U.S. ambassador and current director of the Institute, Jeffrey Davidow, presented Marroquín with the award, for "his leadership in the defense and promotion of press freedom," adding "this is not like some other awards, absurd and ridiculous, but a true award" -- a reference to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez receiving a press freedom award from an Argentine university last week.
The McCormick Foundation was recognized for its 17 years of support for the Chapultepec Project, which promotes press freedom. The Declaration of Chapultepec, from March 11, 1994, issued 10 press freedom principles that have been signed by 54 heads of state.
Noting that IAPA is celebrating 2011 as the Year of Freedom of Expression, Marroquín said, "This award and this year inspire us to make a greater commitment to defend the right of each citizen in this continent to receive information."
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
