(IAPA/IFEX) – The following is a 22 November 2000 IAPA press release: IAPA expresses concern and approval following mission to Santiago del Estero Miami (22 November 2000) – The Inter American Press Association stated that it will remain “alert and watchful” of the apparent political and legal persecution directed against the daily El Liberal of […]
(IAPA/IFEX) – The following is a 22 November 2000 IAPA press release:
IAPA expresses concern and approval following mission to Santiago del Estero
Miami (22 November 2000) – The Inter American Press Association stated that it will remain “alert and watchful” of the apparent political and legal persecution directed against the daily El Liberal of Santiago del Estero. At the same time, the IAPA welcomed the loosening of a number of “gag” laws which were impacting on the work of journalists in this northern Argentine province. The mission was told of some citizens’ great concern over a number of unusual legal actions which signify a retreat in terms of press freedom.
After a meeting in Buenos Aires with Minister of the Interior Federico Storani, IAPA President Danilo Arbilla seemed satisfied with the minister’s promise that he would “personally look into” the matter involving the governor of Santiago del Estero, Carlos Juárez, and El Liberal.
The IAPA sent a mission to Santiago del Estero from 19 to 21 November to investigate reports that El Liberal had been the target of political persecution, aimed at strangling the daily which has been in existence for more than one hundred years. In apparent response to information published in the daily, El Liberal denounced that it has been discriminated against in being granted government advertisements, its journalists have been attacked and its telephone lines have been intercepted. The daily has also been involved in a number of legal actions, marked by unusual speed on the part of judges, and preventive seizures involving large quantities of money. The cases were put forth by members of the Women’s Branch of Justicialista Party supporters, led by the governor’s wife and vice-governor, Mercedes Aragonés de Juárez.
Arbilla said that the “nationalisation of the problem” via the Ministry of the Interior, and via subsequent actions taken at the international level with organisations such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the World Press Freedom Committee, are measures aimed at putting an end to a legal persecution which “could prove infectious and provide the impetus for similar cases in other regions.”
“We made clear our opinion over the discriminatory use of granting state advertising, used by the Santiago government to reward and punish the media, and which has been used against El Liberal, according to the majority of people we spoke to. We also expressed our view over the legal actions which we consider unusual and falling outside the accepted norms of judicial practice,” stated Arbilla, in reference to his meeting with Storani. He further commented on the IAPA’s concern that “two preventive seizures have directly affected the company’s financial management already,” and given that “the lawyer informed us that in addition to the 400 complaints currently filed by members of the Women’s Branch, another 3,600 are expected to be filed, which clearly suggests that political repression is the motive behind this corporatist and generic action.”
The IAPA delegation which visited Santiago del Estero was made up of Arbilla, from the news weekly Búsqueda, Uruguay; the president of the Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, Rafael Molina, of Ahora magazine, Dominican Republic; the IAPA’s director, Bartolomé Mitre, of La Nacion, Buenos Aires; the Committee’s vice-president in Argentina, Luis Etchevehere, of El Diario, Paraná, Entre Ríos, Argentina; and Press Freedom Coordinator Ricardo Trotti.
The IAPA expressed its satisfaction with its visit to Santiago and its success in having a number of regulations, which had a serious “gagging” effect on journalists’ work, either annulled or modified. The IAPA received feedback from the Press Circle union, which it incorporated into its own demands.
Following an IAPA request and after a meeting with the High Court, the court’s president, Ernesto Kozameh, promised that he would study the possibility of repealing a regulation in existence since 1985, which stipulates that judges must seek permission from the court’s authorities before giving a statement to the press. The measure, which the IAPA considered an impediment to access to information, was finally repealed yesterday, on 21 November, one day after the meeting.
“We applaud the Judiciary’s gesture, which will enable journalists to do a better job of reporting, but also because it recognises the public’s right to receive information without restrictions,” IAPA’s president stated.
Arbilla also seemed satisfied with Governor Juárez’s promise to put forth a bill modifying the current Ombusdman’s Law, which authorises the ombudsman to ask for, inspect and seize all files and documents held by journalists or the media. This is considered a violation of professional secrets and the right to protect the identity of journalists’ sources.
During its meeting with Governor Juárez, the IAPA suggested that “advertising should be granted according to technical criteria having to do with the media’s exposure and circulation, and should never be used as a repressive measure to punish the media”.
Arbilla informed Juárez of a number of cases where access to official information was denied and called for guarantees allowing journalists to exercise their profession. He also urged the governor to use his position of leadership and his influence to ensure that in Santiago “there will be an awareness of the fact that insecurity over the legal system and the apparent lack of judiciary independence will not contribute towards democratic co-existence.”
The IAPA also met with the mayor of Santiago del Estero’s capital city, José Luis Zavalía, of the “radical” party, who offered to mediate between Governor Juárez and El Liberal, thus recognising the political character of the conflict that the daily is currently embroiled in.
“The IAPA does not mediate, nor does it look for someone to carry out the mediation. Rather our sole principle is working in defense of press freedom, although at the same time we see that alternative solutions are being sought to stop the [daily’s] harassment and thus prevent a medium from being forced to close, which would present a serious detriment to the public’s right to information,” Arbilla stated.
The IAPA delegation also met with the bishop of Santiago del Estero, Juan Carlos Maccarone; the president of the Chamber of Deputees, Darío Moreno; the lawyer representing the Women’s Branch, Carlos González Avalos; with national and provincial deputees for the opposition who are members of the Civic and Social Movement (Movimiento Cívico y Social, MOSIZO); with members of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and of the Santiago Press Circle.
