“In the [Paraguayan] Senate, a public hearing is taking place this Friday [May 31] to debate the bill 'for the protection of journalists and human rights defenders.' The unions representing these sectors are participating.
The bill proposes the creation of the 'Mechanism for the Protection of Journalists and Human Rights Defenders (MPPD, for its acronym in Spanish),' which would function as an autonomous entity within the State; that is, without influence from other powers.
'What we are proposing is the creation of a mechanism that can respond to threats and attacks on colleagues and that this mechanism has sufficient strength to provide protection measures, provide prevention and be a space for receiving threats and harassment of colleagues,' general secretary of the Paraguayan Journalists Union (SPP), Santiago Ortiz, said.”
