Journalist dismissed to gratify local government officials
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – Reporter Wendy Guerra, of the television station Canal 49 in Santa Rosa de Copán, in western Honduras, was dismissed by the station owner Amid Cárdenas, a former member of parliament for the governing Partido Liberal (Liberal Party), in retaliation for a critical report on municipal affairs. Guerra, who worked with the station as […]
Congress member tries to strangle indigenous journalist
(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has called for Liberal Party representative Romualdo Bueso Melghem, the vice-president of the parliamentary commission for ethnic minorities, to be stripped of his parliamentary mandate for assaulting and trying to strangle journalist Martha Vásquez, a member of the Lenca indigenous group. The attack on Vásquez, who is a contributor to […]
“Transparency Law” bill suffers major setback with National Party’s introduction of new, pro-censorship “transparency” bill
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – The “Transparency Law” bill, aimed at guaranteeing access to public information, suffered a major setback only 24 hours prior to its expected introduction into the legislature for debate and approval, when a sector of the National Party (Partido Nacional, PN) introduced a new “transparency” bill on the night of 14 March 2006. PROBIDAD […]
Journalist harassed at gunpoint, threatened with lawsuit, for reporting on fuel contraband
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – Rural journalist Januario Vásquez, a correspondent in Ocotepeque, a town in western Honduras, for Radio Globo and the television news programme “Abriendo Brecha”, both of which cover events across the country and broadcast from the capital, Tegucigalpa, has been the target of intimidation for having reported on contraband sales of fuel in which […]
Alliance 72 submits its recommendations on the “Transparency Law” to Congress
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – Alliance 72 (la Alianza 72), a coalition of civil society organizations – including the Committee for Free Expression (el Comité por la Libre Expresión, C-Libre) – that promotes the issues of access to information in Honduras, submitted to Congress its recommendations regarding the “Transparency Law” bill to be discussed in upcoming weeks. In […]
Transparency Law still awaiting the political will of parliamentarians for approval
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – The Transparency Law, which deals with access to public information and the legal principle of “habeas data” in Honduras, was rejected again by the Legislative Assembly. Influencing this outcome was the pressure exerted by interest groups seeking to preserve a culture of secrecy and impunity in this Central American nation. The proposed Law, […]
CAPSULE REPORT: Lawsuits, abolition of the “insult” provision and impediments to the access to information law highlighted by C-Libre in its annual freedom of expression report
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – The following is a 20 January 2006 PROBIDAD press release: In its 2005 annual report, the Committee for Free Expression (el Comité por la Libre Expresión, C-Libre) underlines that – while there may have been a “small improvement” in the freedom of expression situation in Honduras over the year ? lawsuits, together with […]
Local radio station forced off the air, station manager receives death threats
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF voiced outrage at the forced temporary closure of Virtud Stéreo radio station, based in the southwestern town of La Virtud, and recent death threats against the station’s manager, Jaime Díaz. These developments appear to stem from party rivalry during the pre-election campaign. Presidential, legislative and local elections are scheduled for 27 November […]
Court acquits journalists and police officers accused of defamation
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – On 13 October 2005, the Comayagua Tribunal, in the city of Marcala, central department of La Paz, acquitted five police officers and two journalists. The accused were facing defamation charges for revealing information implicating high-ranking officials in the smuggling of lumber, coffee and grains on the border with El Salvador. Judge Rafael López […]
PROBIDAD calls on Congress to approve Access to Public Information bill
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – The Access to Public Information and Habeas Data bill was introduced in Congress in October 2004, with the support of the heads of the five political party caucuses. On several occasions since then, Congressional leaders have expressed their willingness to approve it. However, in the last few weeks, the legislative commission that introduced […]
Court dismisses soft-drink company’s US$ 1.6 million lawsuit against “La Prensa” newspaper owner
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – On 26 July 2005, the San Pedro Sula chamber of the Honduran Supreme Court dismissed a US$ 1.6 million lawsuit that had been filed against Jorge Canahuati Larach, owner of “La Prensa” newspaper, published in San Pedro Sula. The libel suit had been filed by Embotelladora Hondureña S.A (EMBOHSA), a soft-drink bottling company, […]
Ley de acceso a la información pública encuentra primeros oponentes: empresarios y periodistas
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – Lo que sigue es un comunicado de prensa de PROBIDAD, con fecha del 28 de julio de 2005: Ley de acceso a la información pública encuentra primeros oponentes: empresarios y periodistas El proyecto de Ley de Acceso a la Información Pública y Hábeas Data en poder de una comisión de dictamen del Congreso […]
Media businessman launches legal action against owner of “La Prensa” newspaper
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – Media businessman and investor Jorge Canahuati Larach, owner of “La Prensa” and “El Heraldo” newspapers, published in the northern city of San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, the capital, respectively, is the target of a new legal action for libel and defamation, filed by banker Jaime Rosenthal Oliva, who is also a newspaper owner. […]
Soft-drink bottling company files US$ 1.6 million lawsuit against “La Prensa” newspaper owner for libel and defamation
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – Jorge Canahuati Larach, owner of “La Prensa” daily, which is published in the northern city of San Pedro Sula, 250 km. from Tegucigalpa, the capital, is facing a complaint for libel and defamation, launched against him on 22 July 2005 by the soft-drink bottling company Embotelladora de Honduras S.A. (EMBOHSA) after publishing a […]
Radio and television programme directors face defamation complaint for reporting on controversial government grant to savings and loan fund
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – The following is an abridged version of a 23 June 2005 PROBIDAD alert: Journalists Eduardo Maldonado and Esdras Amado López are facing a defamation complaint filed against them by the La Constancia savings and loan institution (Asociación de Ahorro y Préstamo La Constancia) for reporting on funding it received from the main pension […]
Supreme Court dismisses charges against “TN5” television news programme director
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – On 7 June 2005 the constitutional chamber of the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed charges against Rossana Guevara, director of Corporación Televicentro Channel 5’s “TN5” news programme. She was accused in August 2003 of the crime of defamation and slander. The case took almost two years to be resolved. The legal action was launched […]