Peru: Boluarte's gov't targets freedom of the press

Monday, September 18th 2023 - 09:53 UTC



Boluarte's government has downplayed rumors that it might be trying to wage a Bukele-style war on crime

Journalist guilds in Peru have expressed their concern about restrictions on freedom the government of President Dina Boluarte is planning to exert through changes to the Penal Code to hold demonstrators and reporters criminally accountable, it was reported in Lima.

“The Executive Branch intends to criminalize people who demonstrate in favor of protests,” stated lawyer Roberto Pereira, legal advisor of the Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS), a civil organization that fights for the rights of journalism. Last Friday, Congress' Constitutional Committee approved by 18 votes to 4 a bill allowing the prosecution of “communicators” who “incite” acts of protest with their reporting.

“It is clear to us that what is being sought is to limit coverage as much as possible,” National Association of Journalists (ANP) President Zuliana Lainez said. She also that Boluarte's government had already tried to impose cuts in journalistic activity.

A Congressional plenum must still ratify the parliamentarian initiative, which seems likely given the number of Government-loyal lawmakers. The ANP, the IPYS, the Peruvian Press Council, and the Inter-American Press Association believe that if the bill is passed, a wide zone will be created in which reporting will be left up to the magistrates' personal criteria.

“What is dangerous is that the word 'incite' is directly linked to the word 'call',” Lainez stressed. Thus, a journalist who has reported media about a protest could face prosecution for “incitement.”

More:
https://en.mercopress.com/2023/09/18/peru-boluarte-s-gov-t-targets-freedom-of-the-press