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Reporters Without Borders condemns closure of radio station in Peru

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has published a document in its website calling "misleading" and "dishonest" the technical and administrative reasons given for closing the Amazonian station "La Voz de Bagua Grande" (La Voz de Utcubamba).

The decision to close the station came days after the radio was accused of “fomenting the riots between the Armed Forces and native populations,” remarked RSF noted in its statement.

"If this accusation had grounds, why using administrative and technical arguments to justify the cancellation of the station's license?” adds the statement, stating that this is “an act of censorship and intimidation.”

The Peruvian Minister of Interior, Mercedes Cabanillas, had publicly threatened to shut down that station and "Radio Orient" for its alleged "support" of violence against law enforcement officials, recalls Reporters Without Borders.

"This is further evidence of a serious governmental prejudice against freedom of press,” says RSF.

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# c.schmidt says :
15 June, 2009 [ 15:15 ]

Thanks to media watch Dog which gave in BBC a general perception about evaluation from freedom of expression in Peru.I am glad that they also have  realized that about current Peruvian events on national level was quit different reported than from int. base (Reuters news agency, BBC,  German newspaper “der Stern” and so on. It seems that some of tv canals are under pressure about how to give news- it seems that Peruvian official state canal is mainly used for government propaganda instead for open dialogue with different kind of opposition. The close of a radio station in Bagua is an alarming sign in a country which wants to be seen as a democracy in within last week jungle death victims  everyone who cares for democracy should be alerted.My husband and me by not forming part of any NGO or any kind of int. organism we are on different levels active that things go better here (private based gratuite work ). We got involved after our experiences in field of Justice and other key areas.It should be in doubtless clear that as a former East German political refugee I take the word democracy serious and never for guaranteed. I have to  to reconfirm Media watch Dog analyze- we suffered because of our own use of freedom of expression on different levels treats and intents to shut us up. It came as a surprise to us because we are neither members of a political party and also no followers to communist ideologies.

Hopefully sooner than better present government will define new rules of engagement in democratic issues. Otherwise I think recent events might be just a forecast from increasing civil upraising.  

  

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