PUERTO RICO

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Recent outstanding events include four cases of intimidation and attacks against journalists performing their duties; the conclusion of a well-known libel case against the newspaper El Vocero , brought by former governor Sila María Calderón and her family; and the attempt to impose on television stations guidelines for covering the governor's annual State of the Nation speech to the legislature. On October 22, 2004, reporters and photographers covering a televised debate by the three candidates for governor were attacked by followers of Pedro Rosselló, candidate of the New Progressive Party, amid a series of ?confusing incidents? among party members. On December 15, Xavier Araújo, a photographer for El Nuevo Día was arrested while covering a kidnapping in a shopping center. His camera was confiscated and he was handcuffed, dragged to a patrol car and taken to police headquarters. He was released, but his rights were never read to him and he was not told why he had been arrested. On January 2, 2005, sympathizers of the New Progressive Party participated in another violent incident against journalists in front of the party's headquarters while Governor-elect Aníbal Acevedo Vilá of the Popular Democratic Party was being sworn in in Old San Juan. The reporters and photographers who covered the demonstration supporting the defeated candidate, Pedro Rosselló, reported that they were insulted, hit with the posts of flags and booed. On January 24, the New Progressive Party mayor of Toa Baja, Ángel ?Buzo? Rodríguez, an ex-convict now on probation, threatened Oscar Serrano, a journalist of Primera Hora , during the wake for the mother of a former leader of his party. The threats were directed at Firuzeh Shokooh Valle, a reporter for Primera Hora , who was covering the funeral. On February 22, the newspaper El Vocero , and the former governor Sila Calderón announced a settlement that ended four years of litigation over a libel suit brought by Calderón, her former husband Adolfo Kranz and their daughters. According to the settlement, made public before the trial began, El Vocero , agreed to publish an article on the front page on February 23 saying that a settlement had been reached and that the paper had apologized. The daily was also ordered to pay the plaintiffs $75,000. On February 22, the country's television networks received a letter from a law firm in Washington giving them five guidelines for covering the State of the Nation speech that Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá was to give before the Puerto Rican legislature. The letter said that the television stations would have to grant a minimum of 10 minutes to the leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate, members of the opposition party, to respond to the speech. Also any promotion of their coverage would have to highlight the reactions of the two legislative leaders. Journalistic organizations and the Free Press Center questioned the validity of the demand. The next day the legislative leaders retracted the request, saying it was a misunderstanding. In judicial matters, on October 29, Police Captain Víctor Rodríguez Vélez and his wife sued radio station WUNO-AM Notiuno for libel and violation of their constitutional rights. The police captain had been accused in a news segment called ?The Scandal of the Day? of trafficking drugs. The couple demanded $2 million. The case will be heard in federal court. On December 2, Judge Mabel Ramos Millán of the Superior Court, gave Antulio ?Kobbo? Santarosa, producer of the most popular television program in Puerto Rico, and businessman Adolfo Kranz a deadline of April 8, 2005 to settle a lawsuit for defamation and libel that Kranz brought in 2001. On his program, Santarosa features a puppet called ? La Comay ? and comments were made that Kranz, who at that time was married to Governor Sila M. Calderón, was having an extramarital affair. Santarosa claimed to have a video proving the alleged adultery. In a hearing in July 2004 it was determined that the video did not exist. Kranz alleges in the lawsuit that Santarosa admitted that the news was false and libelous but broadcast it anyway. On December 9, the newspaper El Nuevo Día , published an editorial entitled ?The Public Has the Right to Know,? in which it urged Federal Court Judge Daniel Domínguez not to restrict the public dissemination of the so-called pivazo (three cross) votes that were the subject of a lawsuit before him to clarify the results of the November 2 election. El Nuevo Día and other media outlets published the results of the counting of these votes, which could not be accepted, in its daily coverage of the State Election Commission, where the vote count and recount were being done simultaneously. In the legislative arena, on January 10 José Aponte Hernández, presented a bill called the Law of Government Transparency, establishing that the media would have the right to attend government meetings, deliberations and policy-making sessions as well as meetings between public and private officials. Media outlets are limited to one representative per meeting. The bill also specifies a series of meetings that are not open to the press. Aponte said he had not consulted press organizations about the measure, adding that they could make recommendations during public hearings.

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