The Bolivian Constitutional Court ruled that insult crimes against public officials are unconstitutional, violating citizens' right to freedom of expression, reported the website Prensa Libre. While the decision was dated Sept. 20, the announcement was not made until Tuesday, Oct. 23, by Court president Ruddy Flores, according to the website.
Two Bolivian journalists were forced to flee to Brazil after suffering legal harassment by public officials on Oct. 13, reported the newspaper Opinión. The reporters from Cobija, capital of the northern department of Pando, claimed that officials with the department Prosecutor's office attempted to arrest them, according to the newspaper.
A federal representative in Bolivia recently proposed to include sanctions against the owners of media outlets in the draft of the new Social Communication and Information Act, currently being discussed in the country.
The controversial mayor of the eastern Bolivian city of Santa Cruz has stepped up his verbal attacks on the press. During a press conference on Saturday, Sept. 1, Mayor Percy Fernández Áñez threatened to kill the journalists for the newspaper El Deber, according to the website La Patria.
The administration of Bolivian President Evo Morales announced on Monday, Aug. 27, that it plans to sue the Brazilian magazine Veja for an article published in June linking Minister of the Presidency Juan Ramón Quintana to drug trafficking, reported the website Brasil 247.
Two newspapers and a news agency in Bolivia face charges of "diffusion and incitement of racism or discrimination." The news agency claims it only reported what President Evo Morales said in a speech, reported the newspaper La Razón.
The Bolivian government said that it would sue the Fides News Agency (ANF in Spanish) for alleged defamation against Bolivian President Evo Morales, although the case is still being analyzed by a legal team, reported the newspaper Los Tiempos.
A total of 15 attacks against Bolivian journalists and cameramen working for both public and private news media were registered during the police conflict that happened from June 21-26.
Bolivian General Félix Rojas, who is under criminal investigation, has filed a lawsuit against a journalist for publishing about the general's alleged corruption, reported the newspaper El Diario.
In less than two weeks, a third radio station was attacked with dynamite in Bolivia, in the southeastern city of Oruro, during the early morning hours on Tuesday, June 26, the Sole Union Confederation of Rural Workers of Bolivia (CSUTCB in Spanish) reported, according to the Fide News Agency (ANF in Spanish).