Radio journalists harassed by ruling party in Maldonado

(PFC/IFEX) – Journalists Carlos Peláez and Monica Robaina are being harassed by Maldonado government officials belonging to the National Party (Partido Nacional). The journalists host the “Cable to Earth” (“Cable a tierra”) programme, broadcast on Láser FM radio station, in Maldonado department. Mayor Guillermo Ipharraguerre, legislature member Ambrosio Rodríguez and businessmen Francisco Giménez and Aram […]

(PFC/IFEX) – Journalists Carlos Peláez and Monica Robaina are being harassed by Maldonado government officials belonging to the National Party (Partido Nacional). The journalists host the “Cable to Earth” (“Cable a tierra”) programme, broadcast on Láser FM radio station, in Maldonado department.

Mayor Guillermo Ipharraguerre, legislature member Ambrosio Rodríguez and businessmen Francisco Giménez and Aram Rupenian have asked the Communications Services Regulatory Unit (Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones, URSEC) for copies of the “Cable to Earth” broadcasts. Over the past six months, the individuals in question have requested more than sixty hours of recordings, under Law 16.099, known as the “Press Law”.

In one of the most recent of the increasingly frequent requests, Mayor Ipharraguerre argued that “the statements and version of events broadcast on the programme are insulting to the National Party (…) hinder its normal operations and prejudice the institutions that form the party, the party’s representatives, their families, and their human dignity.”

The requests for the recordings make reference to the Press Law and to Article 3 of Law 14.670, a vestige of the military dictatorship. The article stipulates that “private broadcasters will be held responsible in the following cases: (…) When the broadcasts, while not constituting a crime, could disturb the peace, weaken morals and good customs, compromise public security or the public interest, or affect the Republic’s image and prestige.”

Legislature member Ambrosio Rodríguez and Councillor Enrique Antía have also reportedly targeted Peláez and Robaina in a number of meetings. The weekly “Brecha” reports that Robaína may have been fired by the newspaper “El País”, where she was a reporter until November 2002, due to pressure from Maldonado’s municipal authorities. Then municipal communications secretary Jorge Méndez allegedly offered Robaina’s job to a number of local journalists while she was still working for the newspaper.

Peláez and Robaina told PFC that “the intensification of the harassment could be retaliation for [their] reports about the recent assignment of National Party members to positions in the municipality.”

In a letter to President Jorge Batlle, PFC urged him to ensure that the Maldonado municipal authorities cease harassing Peláez and Robaina. The president was also asked to promote changes to Uruguay’s laws concerning free expression.

For this alert, PFC’s letter to President Batlle, reports and other information on the case, see:
http://portal-pfc.org/perseguidos/2003/016.html

http://portal-pfc.org/perseguidos/2003/017.html

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