EU and Spain announce two projects against disinformation in Latin America

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain, José Manuel Albares, and the ambassador of the European Union (EU) in Panama, Izabela Matusz, announced on Tuesday projects to protect freedom of expression and fight against disinformation in Latin America .

Both advanced the projects during the inauguration of the international forum on Democracy and Freedom of Expression, held this Tuesday in Panama City.

Albares announced the project "Democracy"which defends freedom of expression, works against disinformation campaigns on social networks and provides support to persecuted journalists.

"In the next few days we will present in Madrid a new line of our cooperation with Latin America with a program called Democracy, which will include, among others, various lines of action in defense of freedom of expression."said in a recorded video the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain.

He added that the program promotes "a diverse and plural media space, based on democratic values, accompanying journalists, informants, human rights defenders, who are victims of harassment".

just as conducive "good practices in the use of social networks against disinformation and hate speech"Albares detailed.

For his part, Matusz also reported that the European Union approved a project against disinformation and "legal protection" of independent journalists in Panama, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Ecuador, countries that make up the Alliance for Development in Democracy.

"The European Union has recently approved financing a project to support the countries of the Alliance for Development in Democracy (…) in promoting independent and pluralistic media, access to information and the fight against disinformation"declared Matusz during his speech.

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He explained that the objective "will be to strengthen the capacities of government agencies and civil society organizations to detect and respond to disinformation campaigns on social media".

as well as improve "legal protection mechanisms for journalists and independent media"pointed out the EU ambassador in Panama, who urged the Panamanian foreign minister, Janaina Tewaney, to work together to "consolidate Panama as a hub for freedom of expression in the region".

The forum on Democracy and Freedom of Expression, organized by the Panamanian Foreign Ministry with the support of the European Union delegation in this country and the Casa de América of Spain, brings together journalists, politicians from the EU and America and human rights defenders.

In the opening ceremony, the Panamanian Foreign Minister, the EU delegate, the representative of the Organization of American States (OAS), Rubén Farje, and the Secretary of State for Ibero-America and the Caribbean of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain, Juan Fernández Trigo, agreed on the dangers of misinformation and the need to strengthen democracies.

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