Panama

PANAMA Despite the government’s promise that it would bring about the repeal of laws restricting press freedom, nothing has been done. To the contrary, judicial harassment of journalists and media outlets has increased to such a point that two journalists, Juan Manuel Díaz of El Panamá América and Reiner Tuñón of El Universal, were sentenced to 18 months in prison for libel. The case involved a dentist whose diploma, like that of many other professionals, was investigated by the national prosecutor’s office on suspicion that it was false. The prosecutor conducting the investigation was the journalists’ source and gave them names. There was no intentional misconduct, since all the journalists did was transmit information they had been given. Journalist José Otero of La Prensa, who published the same information, will be put on trial for the same reason. The daily newspaper El Universal and El Panamá América said placement of government advertising is used as a system to reward or punish media outlets that favor or criticize the government.