Uruguay's state-run telecommunications company, Antel, denied journalist David Rabinovich information about its marketing expenses, despite a 2010 access to public information law, he wrote in his column for the newspaper Ecos Regionales. The company considered the information "restricted" since it dealt with strategic matters, reported the newspaper La Diaria.
According to the decree that established the law, any information considered "restricted" by state institutions must be thoroughly justified.
The Center for Archives and Access to Public Information expressed concern over Antel's decision, reported the newspaper Uruguay al Día. "It's not clear how the company would have been damaged by divulging its criteria for choosing media outlets and how much it pays each for official advertising," the Center argued in a statement.
According to El Telégrafo, the journalist requested the information through the Unit for Access to Public Information, the organization charged with promoting access to information and responsible for declassifying information if it believes a public institution's justifications are unwarranted.
See this Knight Center map for more information about information access laws throughout Latin America.
