(IPYS/IFEX) – IPYS has gained access to three letters that outspoken Senator Francisco Javier Errázuriz sent to the daily “El Metropolitano”, on Senate of the Republic letterhead, in which he charges the daily of acting in bad faith against him. In the letters, Errázuriz accuses the daily of trying to sell more copies at the […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – IPYS has gained access to three letters that outspoken Senator Francisco Javier Errázuriz sent to the daily “El Metropolitano”, on Senate of the Republic letterhead, in which he charges the daily of acting in bad faith against him.
In the letters, Errázuriz accuses the daily of trying to sell more copies at the expense of his honour and good name, which “is the only sure thing that children inherit from their parents”.
The senator criticises the daily, against which he has lodged a complaint under the “insult” (“desacato”) law, and notes that “attacks by satirical publications, which attempt to get rich by uttering insults and destroying one’s private or family life, should be severely punished”.
In reference to “El Metropolitano”‘s employees, the 19 February 2001 letter, addressed to political editor David Hevia, denotes that “those who do not have honour are unaware of the importance of looking after it.”
Errázuriz justifies his use of Article 6 (b) of the State Security Law (Ley de Seguridad Interior del Estado, LSIE), which he invoked in order to file his complaint against “El Metropolitano”, and which states “the legislators have felt that, in order to maintain social peace and safeguard the good name of those who hold public office, it is necessary to protect this fundamental heritage (honour) and decent people’s rights”.
According to the senator, the law that he has used does not restrict one’s freedom but rather “punishes the irresponsibility of those who are abusive.”
In a second letter, also dated 19 February but addressed to the director of the daily, Enrique Alvarado, Errázuriz states that “all journalists of noble birth know that press freedom, which we all defend, cannot be used to hide crimes against others’ honour and good name. All those in the public eye have the duty to make use of the LSIE, precisely in order to protect the state and its spokespeople against those who commit an outrage against press freedom, such an important pillar of our democracy.”
In a third letter, dated 21 February, the member of congress calls into question the support for “El Metropolitano”, demonstrated by a number of individuals who condemned the use of the LSIE against the daily and expressed their solidarity with the affected employees.
Errázuriz states that “since this daily is not credible and the spokespeople cited are reputable and educated, I am sure that they would never protect the defendant, this daily’s director, and the authors and supporters of an insult campaign against a senator.”
The senator adds that “if the defendants have not damaged, insulted, discredited and trampled the dignity of this senator of the republic, they have nothing to fear. If they have done so however, they are a shameless group that are trying to garner support for their crimes through misinformation.”
Recommended Action
Send letters of support to:
Enrique Alvarado
Director, “El Metropolitano”
Javier Urrutia
Business editor, “El Metropolitano”
Mireya Muñoz
Photojournalist, “El Metropolitano”
E-mail: diario@elmetropolitano.cl
Send appeals expressing your concern to:
Francisco Javier Errázuriz
Senator of the Republic
Tel: +56 32 504 000, ext. 4483
Fax: +56 32 239 883
E-mail: ferrazu@senado.cl
Send appeals to authorities:
– calling for a speedy modification of the laws that violate freedom of expression
Víctor Barrueto
President of the Chamber of Deputees
E-mail: barrueto@congreso.cl
Andrés Zaldívar
President of the Senate
E-mail: zaldivar@congreso.cl
Claudio Huepe García
Minister Secretary General of the Government
E-mail: webmaster@segegob.cl
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
