By Maira Magro
Four journalism organizations are oppenly opposing a new electoral law, enacted three weeks ago, which they say violates free expression. (Read the full text PDF of the law in Spanish here.)
One article prohibits candidates for certain judicial positions from giving interviews to the media. If they break this rule, candidates can be disqualified and media outlets can lose the right to air campaign ads in future elections.
The National Press Association, the Bolivian Journalists’ Association, the Bolivian Radio Broadcaster Association, and the La Paz Journalists’ Association have asked the ombudsmen’s office to declare the law unconstitutional.
The organizations also complained that several regional governments have created their own laws that restrict press freedom, which they say violate existing federal law.
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.
