EFE / Miami, USA
The Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) on Tuesday urged the Bolivian government to establish “a protection and security mechanism for journalists” in order to confront the “aggressions” that have “intensified” in recent months in this country.
Jorge Canahuati, president of the IAPA, condemned the numerous attacks against Bolivian journalists and stressed that, in addition, the authorities must “investigate the complaints and establish responsibilities.”
“It is time to create a protection program that immediately attends and guarantees the integrity of journalists who exercise the profession in conditions of risk and insecurity” in that nation, Canahuati said in a statement.
The governments of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Paraguay have already created protection systems for journalists that serve to prevent cases of violence, reduce risk levels and combat impunity that surrounds crimes against journalists, he added. IAPA, based in Miami (Florida).
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For his part, Carlos Jornet, president of the IAPA’s Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, pointed out that, although these systems are not as efficient as they should be, given that many countries “lack the economic, human and technical resources necessary “to operate,” at least they offer an important layer of safety and prevention. “
Canahuati and Jornet highlighted that in Latin America “there is already enough accumulated experience on this type of protection systems” to serve as a model for the Bolivian authorities.
They added that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights establishes that “preventing, protecting and seeking justice are the basic elements that these systems must have.”
In recent months, the Bolivian National Press Association (ANP) denounced more than twenty cases of violence against journalists, including physical assault, threats, kidnappings and torture.
The ANP also recorded cases of authorities and officials who publicly disqualified the news coverage of at least six media outlets: Página Siete, Los Tiempos, Correo del Sur, El Deber, Fides News Agency (ANF) and Erbol.
