MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

OAS hosts seminar on “Connectivity and Freedom of Expression in the Americas”

The event will be inaugurated by OAS Secretary General, Luis Almagro, at the organization's headquarters in Washington

Experts, academics and authorities on connectivity and freedom of expression in the Americas will meet Thursday at the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, DC to discuss and share experiences about optimal regulatory policies to create a universal telecommunication connectivity environment that helps strengthen the exercise of freedom of expression and of the press in the region.

 The event will be inaugurated by the OAS Secretary General, Luis Almagro, and it will feature presentations by

• The Adjunct Chair of the Board of OSIPTEL and Adjunct Chair of CCP.I. of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL), Sergio Cifuentes;

• Director General, The Competitive Intelligence Unit, Ernesto Piedras;

• Former President of Costa Rica and Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression of the Ibero-American Telecommunications Organization (OTI), Laura Chinchilla;

• Specialist attorney in electoral issues, freedom of expression, and telecommunications, Rogelio Carbajal;

• Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, Ernesto Calvo;

• The Senior Advocate of the OAS Rapporteurship for Freedom of Expression, Ona Flores;

• Former Colombian Vice-Minister of ICT’s and President of the Solidarity with Colombia Foundation, María Carolina Hoyos Turbay;

• Director of Regulatory Unit of Communications Services of Uruguay, Nicolás Cendoya

• Executive Director of the Ecuadorian Business Committee and Executive President of the Association of Private Self-funded Universities, Roberto Aspiazu

The event will be closed by the Executive Secretary of CITEL, Oscar Leon, and the Secretary for Strengthening Democracy of the OAS, Francisco Guerrero.