By Liliana Honorato
On Monday, Aug. 20, the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) declared the blockade on the circulation of newspapers in Argentina a "press freedom violation." “While the unions have a legitimate right to express themselves, their actions cannot limit the right to press freedom nor restrict people’s access to the information that the news media disseminate," IAPA said.
The strike was organized by members of the Newspaper Sellers' Union, and the Society of Newspaper and Magazine Distribution and Allied Workers on Aug. 18 and 19, demanding a greater share of the profits from each sale. The strike impeded the distribution of the two biggest newspapers in Argentina, Clarín and La Nación, reported Voice of America.
Meanwhile, the Association of Argentine Journalistic Organizations condemned an attack reported by journalist Silvio Novelino, director of the monthly publication El Pepirí, in the northeastern city of Bernardo de Irigoyen.
According to the Argentine Journalism Forum, which also denounced the attack, a Molotov cocktail bomb was thrown at Novelino's vehicle while he slept in his home with his family in the early morning of Monday, Aug. 20. Novelino had accused the City Council of corruption and smuggling, and the journalist had received several death threats before the attack, reported TN and Misiones Online.
This bombing attack is the most recent in an unfortunate series of attacks and threats, mostly by public officials, against journalists in Argentina. "Authorities must act decisively to clamp down on this criminal behavior and prosecute those responsible," insisted the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
