MIAMI, Florida (August 17, 2009)—The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) today protested attacks over the weekend on the leading print media outlets in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, recalling that since the June 28 outset of the political crisis in the Central American country there have been a number of assaults on journalists and free speech perpetrated by both sides in the conflict.
Early on Saturday morning unidentified assailants hurled five Molotov cocktails at the building of the El Heraldo newspaper, causing damage to the structure. The day before, heavily-armed masked men set fire to a La Tribuna van as it was distributing copies of the paper.
The IAPA has in several press releases issued in the last month and a half expressed its strong repudiation of actions that have hindered the work of the press in Honduras and called on the authorities and supporters of the new government, as well as those of ousted President Manuel Zelaya, to “unreservedly” respect press freedom.
Nevertheless, a number of Honduran journalists and news media have been assaulted by both Zelaya supporters and police and government backers. Even foreign correspondents have been attacked by followers of the new regime while covering a march in its support. In addition, explosive devices damaged the building of Canal 11 television, which also houses the El Tiempo newspaper, and an unexploded hand grenade was found in the plant of the Tegucigalpa radio station América.
“We shall not give up demanding that those in government protect the work of the press and allow the free exercise of the right to inform and be informed,” declared the chairman of the IAPA’s Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, Robert Rivard, editor of the San Antonio Express-News, Texas. “Once again we urge the Honduras authorities to provide protection for news media and ensure the physical safety of journalists, as well as investigate and punish those responsible for these actions,” he added.