NEW YORK, NY (December 10, 2008)—The Global Coordinating Committee of Press Freedom Organizations yesterday demanded more guarantees for freedom of the press and of expression in Bolivia, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela during a special session here on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) was represented at the meeting by its president, Enrique Santos Calderón, El Tiempo, Bogotá, Colombia; International Affairs Committee Chairman Jorge Canahuati, La Prensa, San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and Executive Director Julio E. Muñoz.
The organizations present at the half-yearly meeting which discussed the major press freedom issues in the world, in addition to the IAPA, were the International Association of Broadcasting, World Press Freedom Committee, Committee to Protect Journalists and International Press Institute.
Within the framework of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the World Press Freedom Commission (WPFC) hosted a lunch in which American lawyer Floyd Abrams gave a presentation on the relationship between Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
During the event the WPFC’s Dana Bullen Press Freedom Award was presented to Leonard Sussman, former executive director of Freedom House, for having created in that organization in 1980 the annual statistical survey which numerically rates countries according to their performance on freedom of the press.
Following is the full text of the resolutions adopted on Latin American countries.
International Association of Broadcasting
Committee to Protect Journalists
World Press Freedom Committee
International Press Institute
Inter American Press Association
The Global Coordinating Committee of Press Freedom Organizations at its meeting held in New York on December 9, 2008 agreed by unanimous vote of the members present the following resolutions.
Bolivia
WHEREAS
during 2008 at least a hundred journalists, from privately-owned print media, radio and television, were the target of various kinds of attacks and assaults by militants or government and opposition sympathizers during discussion of national political reforms
WHEREAS
Article 9 of the Organization of American States’ Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression holds that “intimidation of and/or threats to social communicators, as well as the material destruction of communications media violate the fundamental rights of individuals and strongly restrict freedom of expression. It is the duty of the state to prevent and investigate such occurrences, to punish their perpetrators and to ensure that victims receive due compensation”
THE GLOBAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE RESOLVES
to call upon the branches of government to respect the public’s right to information and the unfettered dissemination of thought as a fundamental part of democracy.
Cuba
WHEREAS
for 49 years the Cuban government has suppressed freedom of the press, the right to free expression of ideas and access by its citizens to information other than that coming from the state monopoly
WHEREAS
since his naming as head of government Raúl Castro is maintaining intact the totalitarian system regarding the use of public information and repression of the independent practice of journalism
WHEREAS
more than 20 journalists are in prison, many of them with serious health problems, without the authorities agreeing to release them for humanitarian reasons
WHEREAS
the government continues to stifle independent journalism through fines, searches, confiscation of money and work tools, arrests, restrictions on movement around the country, cutting off telephone calls and infringement of mail and online correspondence
WHEREAS
the crisis situation created in Cuba following several devastating hurricanes is beginning to lead to actions restricting freedom of expression and movement in the country
WHEREAS
access to the Internet continues to be limited for the Cuban population and only state entities and foreigners can circulate freely on the Web
WHEREAS
official controls affect news media and audiovisual productions outside government protection, including the new independent blogger movement
WHEREAS
in 2008 controls for the granting of visas to foreign correspondents seeking to visit the island were tightened and the foreign press accredited in Cuba has been the target of criticism and attacks on the part of Fidel Castro and Raúl Castro
WHEREAS
Article 1 of the Organization of American States’ Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression holds that “freedom of expression in all its forms and manifestations is a fundamental and inalienable right of all individuals. Additionally, it is an indispensable requirement for the very existence of a democratic society”
WHEREAS
Article 9 of the Organization of American States’ Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression holds that “intimidation of and/or threats to social communicators, as well as the material destruction of communications media violate the fundamental rights of individuals and strongly restrict freedom of expression. It is the duty of the state to prevent and investigate such occurrences, to punish their perpetrators and to ensure that victims receive due compensation”
THE GLOBAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE RESOLVES
to demand the unconditional release of imprisoned journalists and recognition by the government of the independent practice of the profession
to demand professional respect and the cancellation of repressive actions against independent journalists
to condemn the intensification of government control over the use of the Internet and impediment of blogs being produced in Cuba
to call for respect for all publications and audiovisual productions being made in the country independently
to call on the Cuban authorities to give respectful treatment of foreign correspondents who carry out their work on the island.
Nicaragua
WHEREAS
in recent months a marked increase in hostility by the executive branch has been noted in its relations with Nicaragua’s independent media and journalists, the deterioration in the relations being characterized by accusations, threats and serious verbal attacks on the part of the most senior officials of the central government
WHEREAS
state agencies and members of organizations openly aligned with the government or linked to the governing party are systematically taking legal action as a means of coercion against the free practice of journalism
WHEREAS
government-motivated acts of harassment are on the increase, such as for example against journalist Carlos Fernando Chamorro, who is being investigated concerning agreements signed by his non-governmental organization and other international institutions
WHEREAS
the executive branch has carried out publicity campaigns designed specifically to defame and denigrate independent journalists and news media
WHEREAS
still pending resolution is a decision on a claim that amendment of the tax law, on the pretext of regulating, is unconstitutional in that it amends the constitutional mandate that exempts media from taxes on newsprint, machinery, equipment and spare parts
WHEREAS
there is a bill before a National Assembly committee which would establish, without limitations, the constitutional exemptions that news media enjoy in Nicaragua
WHEREAS
Article 13 of the Organization of American States’ Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression states that “the exercise of power and the use of public funds by the state, the granting of customs duty privileges, the arbitrary and discriminatory placement of official advertising and government loans; the concession of radio and television broadcast frequencies, among others, with the intent to put pressure on and punish or reward and provide privileges to social communicators and communications media because of the opinions they express threaten freedom of expression, and must be explicitly prohibited by law.”
WHEREAS
Article 9 of the Organization of American States’ Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression holds that “intimidation of and/or threats to social communicators, as well as the material destruction of communications media violate the fundamental rights of individuals and strongly restrict freedom of expression. It is the duty of the state to prevent and investigate such occurrences, to punish their perpetrators and to ensure that victims receive due compensation”
THE GLOBAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE RESOLVES
to urge the Supreme Court of Nicaragua to pronounce on the unconstitutionality appeal regarding the special tax regime for the media
to repeat the call to the National Assembly to pass the law that establishes, without limiting, the exemptions for news media to which they have a right under the Constitution
to urge the Nicaraguan courts to be impartial in their dealing with moves against media or journalists and intellectuals, as for example the cases of journalists Jaime Chamorro Cardenal and Eduardo Enríquez, the newspaper La Prensa and Carlos Fernando Chamorro Barrios and poet Ernesto Cardenal
to denounce the disproportionate publicity campaign designed specifically to discredit independent journalists and media and to call upon the government of Nicaragua to normalize its relations with the press with the aim of endorsing its role and democracy.
Venezuela
WHEREAS
Attempted homicide, assaults, mistreatment and threats against journalists, in most cases going unpunished, continue in the country
WHEREAS
the control that President Hugo Chávez exercises over the branches of government is more pronounced and increasingly more evident
WHEREAS
the government of President Chávez and its activists have declared independent journalists and news media to be “military objectives” at the same time as the president publicly insults, criticizes, attacks and threatens the press, which encourages violence against it
WHEREAS
discrimination, bans and limits by the government of President Chávez on independent news media and journalists regarding access to official information, communiqués and activities restrict fundamental rights, free speech and freedom of information
WHEREAS
together with the non-renewal of the broadcast license of Radio Caracas Televisión and its closure in May 2007, ordered by President Chávez for political reasons, the channel was stripped by the military of its broadcast equipment throughout the country without the courts having issued a final decision on the lawsuits filed
WHEREAS
the news channel Globovisón has suffered attacks upon its plant, its journalists and its executives attributed to the government supporters
WHEREAS
the government of President Chávez is extending its unlawful policy of discrimination in placement of official advertising to favor pro-government media, which have subordinated the principles of journalistic ethics and resorted to self-censorship
WHEREAS
the government is using military forces to take over the running of radio and television news media and their broadcast facilities, as occurred last year with Radio Caracas Televisión and this year with the radio stations Rumbera Network 101.7 FM and Llanera 91.3 FM in Guárico state and Radio Stereo 103.3 FM in Caracas
WHEREAS
following the popular pronouncement in the referendum of December 2, 2007, in which President Chávez’ proposal to amend the National Constitution was defeated, he has decreed, while the National Assembly was adjourned, 26 laws whose content puts into force rules rejected by the people in the said referendum, which have been denounced as unconstitutional by Venezuela’s Academy of Political and Social Sciences and numerous institutions
WHEREAS
the National Assembly has requested an official investigation of a group of executives from major independent media companies in Venezuela in connection with an alleged conspiracy to assassinate the president
WHEREAS
Article 13 of the Organization of American States’ Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression states that “the exercise of power and the use of public funds by the state, the granting of customs duty privileges, the arbitrary and discriminatory placement of official advertising and government loans; the concession of radio and television broadcast frequencies, among others, with the intent to put pressure on and punish or reward and provide privileges to social communicators and communications media because of the opinions they express threaten freedom of expression, and must be explicitly prohibited by law.”
THE GLOBAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE RESOLVES
to denounce to the United Nations Human Rights Council the attacks by the government of President Hugo Chávez on independent news media and journalists and to request an in-depth investigation concerning the limitations on freedom of expression and the right to information, enshrined in the U.N.’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in Articles 56 and 57 of the Venezuelan Constitution
to repudiate the verbal abuse of President Chávez against the Venezuelan independent news media and journalists and to indicate this as being the direct motivation for the threats and attacks on the part of government officials and activists
to repudiate the placement of official advertising by the government of President Hugo Chávez being used to favor pro-government media and encourage self-censorship
to repudiate the labeling by activists linked to President Chávez of independent journalists and news media as “military objectives” and to ask the OAS’ Inter-American Commission in Human Rights Rapporteur’s Office for an investigation into the matter
to call upon the government for clarification of any takeover by force of media buildings or that they be restored immediately until any legal proceedings in this respect are resolved
to urge international human rights organizations and the Venezuelan justice system to guarantee respect for due process and to remain vigilant against negative consequences these actions could have for freedom of expression in Venezuela.
