25 January 2000
JOURNALISTS FACED ONGOING REPRESSION IN 1999
Journalists faced considerable repression in carrying out their work last year, says the Sindicato de Periodistas del Paraguay (Paraguay Union of Journalists, SPP) in its survey of freedom of expression in Paraguay in 1999. Members of the press suffered various forms of abuses and aggression while attempting to cover the country's political upheavals and developments in 1999. SPP states that these abuses were present throughout both the current president Gonzalez Macchi's rule as well as the former president's, Raul Cubas Grau, government. In 1999, after eight years of no arrests, several journalists were arrested as a result of their professional work, reports SPP. Journalists were also harassed and received death threats for carrying out their work. Some of the threats resulted from journalists coverage of government corruption and the assassination of the former vice-president.
A number of journalists were also attacked in the country in 1999. The worst aggression against journalists occurred on 30 November, when supporters of the Colorado Party attacked and injured eight media workers who were trying to report on negotiations between government authorities and union leaders, reports SPP. As well as injuring the journalists, the perpetrators destroyed their equipment. According to SPP, two officials from the Ministry of the Interior have been accused of participating in the attack. The media workers have filed a law suit against their attackers. A copy of the full report can be obtained by contacting Magdalena Riveros, SPP, Casilla de Correo 1320, Asuncion, Paraguay; Tel/Fax: +595 21 440 617; E-mail: spp17@infonet.com.py.
RSS