Bolivia

The government of President Evo Morales continues to regard independent journalists and news media as his “main opponent,” attributing to them to a desire to “destabilize” his administration. The protests and attempts at applying pressure, such as marches and blockades, are increasing, as is the climate of volatility and confrontation. In this context the physical and verbal attacks on journalists are occurring in an atmosphere dominated by government harangues against the work of independent members of the press and media. None of the 46 cases of physical or verbal attacks during 2011 (33 occurring during this October to May period) have been dealt with, much less punished, according to the National Press Association (ANP), while in 2012 brother and sister Verónica and Víctor Peñasco, reporters with El Alto radio station, were killed. This incident gave rise to marches and street protests in that Andean town, but three months late,r although it was said that two people had been jaile,d there has been no trial or punishment and the status of the investigation is unknown, although their work as journalists has been ruled out as the motive. In a similar situation is the death of journalist Carlos Quispe, who in late March 2008 was the victim of a brutal beating by opponents of the mayor of Pucarani in the La Paz plateau. It is now four years since this tragic event has happened and there has been only an inexplicable silence. In recent days attention has been called to a libel suit in which a former minister in the government of President Morales threatened noted columnist and humorist Alfonso Prudencio Claure, known in Bolivia by the nickname “Paulovich,” for having questioned the use of public resources in social works. According to the ANP, former Public Works Minister Walter Delgadillo was indignant at the publication of a column titled “Las noticia en perfil” (The News In Outline) in which reference is made in Prudencio Claure’s humorous style to a program of low-cost housing that was never built. Prudencio Claure, the winner of the ANP’s 2008 Freedom Award, said that the government’s failure to deliver the low-cost housing was an issue in the public domain. In another development, the repeated pronouncements concerning the desire of pro-government social sectors to change the contents of the Bolivian Press Law are a matter of deep concern. According to the ANP, the issue is that it is not known what are the political objectives of a move of this kind and the political practice of this government appears to demonstrate a strong and dangerous tendency toward authoritarianism. In fact, it has changed other regulations in line with its own interests. It has either infringed or violated them, even those promulgated during the current administration. The most obvious case is the law that prohibits construction of a highway on Isiboro Sécure Indigenous Land and National Park (Tipnis). At a meeting held on February 14 President Morales told executives of news organizations that he would not encourage amendment of the Press Law, although he has not ceased his almost non-stop questioning of the work of the independent media.