On Monday, April 16, in Candelaria, Misiones in Argentina, the city council president punched a journalist who was trying to cover a city council session and was denied access to it three times, being told that "journalists who wish to cover these sessions must first present their credentials," reported the Argentine Journalism Forum (FOPEA in Spanish).
The president of the city council, Jorge Peña, punched journalist Daniel Luna, owner of the TV station Canal 4 and editor of the news site Actualidad Sur, in the face when the journalist starting reading an article of the constitution about press freedom and freedom of expression, reported the news site Misiones Cuatro.
Several attacks against journalists by public officials have occurred lately in different provinces of Argentina. In Candelaria, the problem is that “the local city councils explicitly prevent journalistic coverage of these sessions," said FOPEA in a statement on April 6.
The Forum of Press and Social Communication Workers of Missions urged the council of Candelaria “to start internal processes to apply the highest sanction, including destitution” of Peña, reported the news site Misiones Online.
