SIP reaffirms support for exiled journalists through RELPEX

Punta Cana.- The Latin American Network of Journalism in Exile (RELPEX), an initiative driven by the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) to support media and journalists in exile, displacement or forced mobility, will continue its operations for two more years thanks to the renewed support of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and other allies committed to defending freedom of the press in Latin America.

The announcement was made by Carlos Lauría, executive director of the SIP, during the 81st General Assembly of the organization, held in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

“This support will allow us to strengthen the three core programs of RELPEX, designed to accompany journalists who have been forced into exile or displacement for exercising their informative work in contexts of repression and censorship, and to offer them more dignified and stable conditions to continue their work”, Lauría pointed out.

The RELPEX carries out its work through three main axes:

• Employability Program: facilitates a job bank and grants of up to 50% of the salary for journalists hired in media outlets in their host countries.
• Legal Assistance Program: provides guidance and legal support in immigration processes, asylum applications, and cases of judicial criminalization.
• Emergency Assistance Program: responds to critical situations faced by exiled journalists, such as prolonged unemployment, medical crises, or uprooting.

During its first year of operation, RELPEX has assisted more than a hundred cases thanks to a collaborative model that articulates efforts with international organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the Thomson Reuters Foundation, through its TrustLaw program, as well as Vita Activa, DW Akademie, IPLEX Costa Rica, UNESCO and other allied entities. This cooperation network has been fundamental to expand the scope of the program and respond more effectively to the needs of displaced journalists.

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Currently, 314 journalists are part of RELPEX, from 14 countries, including Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba, El Salvador, and Guatemala. 59% continue to practice journalism, while the rest face structural barriers to professional reintegration; only one-third have stable employment in a newsroom. These and other data were presented in a special report by RELPEX during the SIP General Assembly.

The journalists who make up the network cover essential topics such as human rights, politics, gender, environment, and migration, which in many cases led them to face threats, persecution, or violence in their countries of origin. Among their main needs are access to professional networks, training opportunities, and legal advice.

RELPEX reaffirms its commitment to prevent critical voices from being silenced and to support the media that, from exile, continue to report with courage and rigor. The renewal of this international support represents a firm step in the defense of freedom of expression and independent journalism in Latin America.

The SIP is a non-profit organization dedicated to the defense and promotion of freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It is made up of more than 1,300 media outlets from the Western Hemisphere and is headquartered in Miami, Florida, United States.