Impunity - Nicaragua

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WHEREAS Nicaraguan journalist Carlos José Guadamuz Portillo was shot to death on February 10, 2004 at the entrance of the television station where he hosted a talk show and political opinion program; and, even though the killer was caught at the scene of the crime immediately after it occurred and he confessed to the crime and accepted full responsibility for it, is was subsequently revealed that the political backgrounds of the victim and killer, as well as information gathered by the independent press, suggest that someone else might have ordered the crime WHEREAS several journalists have received anonymous threats for investigating and reporting on this murder, and threatening comments about the newspaper La Prensa, in particular, have been made in speeches and public statements by leaders of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) in an attempt to get them to stop investigating and reporting on the murder WHEREAS the National Police of Nicaragua appear to have only followed the leads provided in investigative reports in the media and, in practical terms, have thus far proven incapable of solving the murder and discovering who ordered it WHEREAS Principle 4 of the Declaration of Chapultepec states, “Every person has the right to seek and receive information, express opinions and disseminate them freely. No one may restrict or deny these rights” THE MIDYEAR MEETING OF THE IAPA RESOLVES to urge the Government of Nicaragua to take the necessary steps to conduct a thorough investigation into the murder of journalist Carlos José Guadamuz Portillo until those responsible for his murder have been identified and brought to trial, and to guarantee the security of the media and the physical safety and life of journalists who exercise their right to investigate any matter of public interest and report on it without restrictions or threats of any kind.

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