Chile

Nueva York, 17 de octubre del 2003--El Comité para la Protección de los Periodistas (CPJ, por sus siglas en inglés) está sumamente alarmado por los ataques y amenazas contra medios de prensa y periodistas esta semana durante las masivas protestas antigubernamentales que amenazan con derrocar al gobierno boliviano.

El miércoles 15 de octubre, atacantes no identificados volaron los equipos de transmisión del Canal 13 de televisión y de la radioemisora católica Radio Pío XII, ambos con sede en la ciudad de Oruro, lo que los obligó a salir del aire. De acuerdo con el periodista de Radio Pío XII Grover Alejandro, cerca de las 6 p.m. varios oyentes comenzaron a llamar a la radioemisora para informar que se había caído la señal del Canal 13, el que había estado bajando de forma intermitente la señal de Radio Pío XII.

Nova York, 29de julho de 2003— O Comitê para a Proteção dos Jornalistas (CPJ) condena a decisão de um tribunal de justiça chileno que, na semana passada proibiu, temporariamente, que uma estação de TV transmitisse um programa sobre um relevante assassinato.

Na quarta-feira, 23 de julho, um grupo de juízes da Corte de Apelações de Santiago, capital do Chile, ordenou que a Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) não transmitisse um episódio da série documental "Enigma", programado para exibição no mesmo dia. O programa investiga e recria as circunstâncias que envolvem o assassinato do advogado Patrício Torres Reyes, que foi morto a punhaladas e queimado por duas prostitutas após um encontro sexual em seu escritório, em 17 de dezembro de 1999.

New York, July 29, 2003—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns last week's decision by a Chilean court temporarily barring a television station from airing a program about a high-profile murder case.

On Wednesday, July 23, a panel of judges of the Santiago Court of Appeals, in Chile's capital, ordered Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) not to air an episode of the documentary series "Enigma" scheduled for broadcast that day. The program investigates and re-creates the circumstances surrounding the murder of Santiago lawyer Patricio Torres Reyes, who was stabbed to death and burned by two prostitutes after a sexual encounter in his office on December 17, 1999.

New York, April 4, 2003—Chile’s Sixth Chamber of the Santiago Appeals Court overturned the conviction of Chilean TV commentator Eduardo Yáñez, who was convicted of “disrespect” earlier this year.

On Wednesday, April 2, the appeals court ruled that “even though the expressions voiced by Yáñez can be qualified as excessive, vulgar, or ignorant, they do not constitute the crime of disrespect.”

Economic and political turmoil throughout Latin America in 2002 had profound implications for the region's press. Sharp decreases in advertising revenue bankrupted many media outlets, while the failure to consolidate democratic reforms left the media vulnerable to legal and physical assault. Five journalists were killed in Latin America in 2002 for their work.

The administration of President Ricardo Lagos continued its efforts, begun in 2001, to repeal Chile's harsh criminal statutes for press offenses. In September, the government introduced a bill to amend several articles of the Penal Code and the Code of Military Justice that impose criminal penalties for "insulting the honor or dignity" of government authorities, members of Congress, senior judges, and members of the armed forces. Congress was still considering the legislation at the end of 2002.

The U.S. government took aggressive measures in 2002 to shield some of its activities from press scrutiny. These steps not only reduced access for U.S. reporters but had a global ripple effect, with autocratic leaders citing U.S. government actions to justify repressive policies.

New York, February 5, 2003—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply disturbed by a Chilean judge’s decision to impose a two-months suspended prison sentence on television commentator Eduardo Yáñez.

On Friday January 31, Judge Juan Manuel Muñoz convicted Yáñez, a panelist on Chilevisión’s debate show "El Termómetro," of "disrespect" under Article 263 of the Penal Code. Yáñez will not be sent to prison but he will be required to appear before the Gendarmerie, the body responsible for prisoners’ custody. In addition, the judge ordered the TV commentator to pay a fine of US$460.