DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

There have been no serious threats to press freedom recently, although there have been some disturbing incidents. No progress has been made in the investigations of crimes and attacks against journalists. On the positive side, the Executive Branch implemented by decree regulations for the General Freedom of Information Law. On November 5, the president of the Central Elections Board circulated a notice prohibiting officials of his agency from speaking to the media about any subject without his authorization or that of the entire board. This rule is an obstacle to transparency in the conduct of this public agency's business. On November 8, the National Press Workers Union reported threats against several journalists in the city of Bonao in the northern part of the country. Several tear-gas bombs were thrown at the residence of Antonio Manuel Polanco, apparently by police officers. Ricardo Arias received death threats and another journalist, Enrique Sosa, was attacked. Also on November 5, the Executive Branch spokesman said that government information would be ?managed? so as not to worry citizens with ?unfortunate news.? The measure was supported by a study that showed the uneasiness that ?impertinence and scandal? caused Dominicans. ?We are providing details of certain things, but we are trying to manage the news because we want to supply the news that is appropriate. We don't want to be so foolish as to disturb the Dominican family,? said the spokesman. The IAPA Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information repudiated this administrative decision pointing out that directly contradicted the Freedom of Information Law and violated the law's intent. In February, the National Public Performances Committee ruled that the musical group Aventura could not perform in public or appear on television or be played on the radio, for one year as punishment for alleged immoral acts during a public performance. This decision establishes administrative prior restraint without a court hearing. The committee's decision is based on powers granted by Regulation 824, a judicial instrument whose basic purpose is to regulate the content of the broadcast media. This regulation is still in effect despite the fact that it was part of the judicial structure during the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, which was overthrown in 1961, 44 years ago. On February 3, photographers Joel Alcántara and Adriano Rodríguez of the dailies El Caribe and Listín Diario were attacked and beaten by traffic policemen when they were driving in their newspaper's vehicles to cover a journalistic event. Alcántara was beaten when he got out of the vehicle. Rodríguez was hit in the face and his camera was destroyed when the police officers realized that he was taking pictures while they were detaining his colleague. The murder of Juan Andujar is still unsolved. This journalist was killed in Azua in the southern part of the country on September 13 of last year. Two criminals shot him in the head as he was leaving a radio station after concluding a news and interview program. Journalist Luis Sención was wounded in the same attack. One of Andujar's alleged murderers was killed in a confrontation with police, but the second suspect, Vladimir Pujols, has not been detained, nor has his case been brought to the courts. The attack on the journalist Euri Cabral also has not been solved. His vehicle was struck by 10 gunshots on September 29 as he was going from the television station where he works to his house. The journalist and a colleague who was with him were not injured. The authorities began an investigation and offered protection to Cabral and other journalists, but so far the attackers have not been notified and there have been no results of the investigation. The case of the disappearance of Narcisco González (Narcisazo), a columnist and university professor, on May 26, 1994, has not been solved. He disappeared after harshly criticizing President Joaquín Balaguer and high-ranking military officers. He accused them during a public event at the university of committing fraud in that year's election to remain in power. On February 28, the Executive Branch issued the regulations for the General Freedom of Information Law, which had been approved and enacted in July of 2004. The regulations were approved after a wide-ranging process of consultation by the government with civic groups, journalistic organizations and others.