Panama

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The status of freedom of the press in Panama is the same as we reported at our last session in Mérida. The government of President Ricardo Martinelli has been having confrontations with the media and the press in general since the beginning of his term. At various times friction has occurred mainly because of the national government’s eagerness to blame the media for some situations and events of a public nature, and therefore in the interest of the citizens, and about which the national media have reported, as is their duty. The most relevant events during this period are the following: The sale of the Panamá América publishing house to a group of local investors. With the change of ownership changes also occurred in the management of the company, including its director Guido Rodríguez, who until the sale was vice president for Panama on the Freedom of the Press and Information committee of the IAPA. In addition, the president of the board of directors resigned from the El Siglo-La Estrella editorial group, alleging personal reasons, although later he revealed that he had been pressured by the government. A human rights activist of Spanish nationality,Paco Gómez Nadal, was deported by immigration authorities under the allegations that he was instigating public demonstration against the government. Mr. Gómez Nadal is a former columnist for the daily La Prensa of Panama. Several civic and religious organizations and similar groups have expressed their concern over the confrontational situations that some public servants have had with the communications media in Panama.

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