(CPJ/IFEX) – According to a government document in CPJ’s possession, all state agencies have been barred from advertising in the weekly “Cronica” and the daily “elPeriodico”, both of which have criticized President Alvaro Arzu Irigoyen’s administration. The memorandum, sent to state agencies on 21 January 1998, notes, “One may not publish [government announcements] in “Cronica” […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – According to a government document in CPJ’s possession, all
state agencies have been barred from advertising in the weekly “Cronica” and
the daily “elPeriodico”, both of which have criticized President Alvaro Arzu
Irigoyen’s administration. The memorandum, sent to state agencies on 21
January 1998, notes, “One may not publish [government announcements] in
“Cronica” or “el Periodico” [sic], even if there is no charge.” One witness
informed CPJ that presidential spokesman Ricardo de la Torre repeatedly used
his weekly meetings with government officials to urge those officials not to
cooperate with “Cronica” or “elPeriodico.” According to a CPJ source, de la
Torre first issued these instructions over a year ago.
CPJ is also concerned with the dramatic decrease in private-sector
advertising at “Cronica”, which according to editors at the weekly, has
dropped 80 percent in the two years since President Alvaro Arzu Irigoyen’s
government took power. Editors at “Cronica” have informed CPJ that
advertisers have been pressured by members of the government not to
advertise in the publication. The paper is in grave danger of folding
because of a lack of advertising.
The Declaration of Chapultepec, a statement of press freedom principles
signed by most of the heads of state in the Americas, including former
Guatemalan president Ramiro de Leon Carpio, states that, “advertising may
not be used to reward or punish the media or individual journalists.” The
allegations that members of the current government pressured advertisers, if
true, would constitute a direct attack on freedom of expression and a
possible violation of international law. Article 13 of the American
Convention of Human Rights, ratified by Guatemala on 25 May 1978, declares
that everyone has the right to seek, receive, and impart information orally,
in writing, or in print. As the Inter-American Human Rights Commission of
the Organization of American States noted in creating the Special Rapporteur
for Freedom of Expression in March 1998, “freedom of expression [is
essential] for the existence and development not only of a democratic
society and a state of law, but also for all other human rights.”
CPJ notes with satisfaction the vast improvements in the Guatemalan press in
recent years, and believes that the press in Guatemala, by being critical
and demanding accountability from government officials, has played a vital
role in the consolidation of democracy in Guatemala. The attack on
“Cronica”, therefore, is a threat not only to the survival of a crucial
publication but also to the country’s democratic institutions.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
commitment to
the
principles contained in the Declaration of Chapultepec and to purchase
government advertising in an equitable fashion
Appeals To
His Excellency Alvaro Arzú Irigoyen
President of Guatemala
National Palace
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Fax: +502 2 537472 / 519702 / 347364 / 515667 / 214537
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
