During this period, the atmosphere of hostility against the press continued, particularly on the part of Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz, who, with foul, misogynistic, homophobic, and racist language, attacked journalists who questioned his decisions or those of his New Progressive Party (PNP).
Rivera Schatz's hostile behavior is the maximum representation of attacks on journalists. On March 4, he called independent journalist Carmen Enid Acevedo, director of the digital station Bonita Radio, "ugly radio." Days before, he called journalist Normando Valentin, host of Noticentro, one of the three main television news programs, "Normando's asshole." He was more explicit: "In your belief of moral authority that you do not have, your complexes dominate you. You are the personification of chacota and garbage in the media". Then he added: "You can say whatever you want, and so can I: pendejo."
On October 15, he referred to journalist Benjamín Torres Gotay of the newspaper El Nuevo Día as "cimarrón," a racist insult that he had used on multiple occasions before.
Rivera Schatz's persecutory conduct against journalists is not new, but rather the continuation of a recurring practice of the nearly 20 years he has been a public figure. Last year, he disclosed confidential electoral information from El Nuevo Día after a journalist questioned the personal business of an allied legislator.
