Salvadoran newspapers face legal action by Canadian company
(PFC/IFEX) – CINTEC Environment Inc., the Canadian company that manages greater San Salvador’s solid waste, has announced in a press release that it plans to take legal action against two newspapers the company accuses of damaging its reputation. On 11 February 2003, “El Diario de Hoy” and “La Prensa Gráfica” began publishing a series of […]
Protesters assault journalists
(PFC/IFEX) – On 8 January 2003, amid increasing social conflict in El Salvador, demonstrators assaulted journalists who were covering public protests at the San Salvador Cathedral. On 8 January, in the early morning, a group of hooded individuals occupied the Metropolitan Cathedral, one of the country’s main Catholic sites, to express their opposition to the […]
RSF concerned over bill that limits access to auditing agency’s reports
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has expressed concern over a bill that aims to limit access to reports issued by the Court of Accounts, the country’s auditing agency. “Transparency in public life is essential to any democracy. As such, it is imperative that journalists be given access to all information concerning government expenditures,” stated RSF Secretary-General Robert […]
Health system bill would restrict the right to information
(PFC/IFEX) – On 17 October 2002, the Executive introduced to the Legislative Assembly a bill entitled “Preventative Health Council Law” (“Ley del Consejo de Salud Previsional”), as part of a package of reforms to the preventative health care system. Among the proposed changes are some that violate the right to information. Article 20 of the […]
Government audits classified under newly approved legislation
(PFC/IFEX) – On 26 September 2002, the El Salvador Legislative Assembly approved a reform of the law which governs the Court of Accounts, the national government auditing agency. The reform includes a modification of Article 46, which now stipulates that “audited reports… shall be made available to the public, only after a resolution has been […]
PFC protests attempts to restrict access to information and undermine anti-corruption efforts in El Salvador
(PFC/IFEX) – The following is a 25 September 2002 PFC alert: PROBIDAD, a non-governmental anti-corruption and free press organisation that administers regional projects – such as Journalists Against Corruption (PFC) – and local ones in El Salvador, Panama and Honduras, coordinated an effort to protest the government’s intention to further limit access to information. On […]
National defence law threatens confidentiality of sources
(RSF/IFEX) – On 22 August 2002, RSF expressed concern about the implications for press freedom of the national defence bill, approved by the Legislative Assembly on 15 August. According to Article 25 of the text, journalists may be forced to reveal their sources. “All journalists have the right to have the confidentiality of their sources […]
IAPA condemns attack on journalists, calls for immediate investigation
(IAPA/IFEX) – The following is a 9 May 2002 IAPA press release: IAPA condemns attack on journalists in El Salvador and calls for an immediate investigation Miami (9 May 2002) – The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) condemned last week’s attack in El Salvador on journalists from a number of media outlets by supporters of […]
Five journalists face charges for “crimes against honour”
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Attorney General Belisario Artiga, RSF protested the charge of “crime against his honour”, which deputy Francisco Merino has brought against four journalists from the daily “La Prensa Gráfica”, and one journalist from the daily “El Mundo”. RSF called on the attorney general to reject the charges filed by the […]
IAPA launches forum on the Chapultepec Declaration in El Salvador
(IAPA/IFEX) – The following is a 23 August 2000 IAPA press release: IAPA launches the Tenth National Forum on the Chapultepec Declaration in El Salvador Miami (23 August 2000) – In El Salvador today, the Inter American Press Association launched its yearly national forum to promote the Chapultepec Declaration in the Americas. The Declaration is […]
Right-wing group renews threats against the media
On 26 July 1996, during the Sao Paolo Forum, an international meeting of left-wing parties and movements taking place in San Salvador, the underground right-wing political group the Fuerza Nacionalista Mayor Roberto D’Aubuisson (FURODA) issued a threatening communique to the media, urging them “to report the truth and not to distort it.” FURODA also announced […]
Group continues to make threats against journalists and media outlets
**Updates IFEX alert dated 1 July 1996** RSF is concerned at an underground group’s continued threats against journalists and media outlets. On 3 July 1996, the group Fuerza Nacionalista Roberto D’Aubuisson (named after the late founder of the governing National Republican Alliance, or ARENA, party) released a statement in which it threatened the Cable News […]
Political group issues threats to journalists and media outlets
On 26 June 1996, an underground right-wing political group sent a communique to several media outlets in San Salvador containing death threats directed at several journalists, priests and politicians who were accused of being behind a “frantic opposition” campaign against the government of President Armando Calderon Sol. The group, called the Fuerza Nacionalista Mayor Roberto […]