Nicaragua imposed a series of restrictions on paper imports by El Nuevo Dario, a newspaper that recently reported that the authorities had threatened its journalists after publishing allegations of corruption in the Ministry of Finance.
According to EFE, the restrictions were lifted after other media outlets and opposition politicians spoke out against the move. Among those who criticized the government was the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), who said that “To use public office to punish a news media outlet for its critical and independent editorial stance must be regarded as an act of prior censorship contrary to law and the Constitution.”
The Nicaraguan government has been accused of overt hostility to independent media outlets of late. Most recently, Canal 15 Condega TV – a station that was taken off the air by its carrier after sabotage and threats – and La Prensa newspaper have reported harassment from the authorities for their critical editorial positions and reporting.
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.
