The Ecuadorean Telecommunications Superintendency (Supertel) announced that it would seek to punish seven radio broadcasters for a simultaneous broadcast of a debate on freedom of expression without first notifying the authorities.
Following criticism, Panamanian Representative Rubén Frías Ortega of the Cambio Democrático party will withdraw his bill that would regulate journalists' salaries, reported the newspaper La Estrella.
Officials in Ecuador presented a bill on Sept. 6 that would give owners and shareholders of media companies until Jul. 13, 2012, to sell their interests in other businesses, reported Fundamedios.
On Sept. 1, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Andean Group of Information Freedoms, and Fundamedios released a report on the state of freedom of expression in Ecuador titled, "Confrontation, Repression in Correa's Ecuador."
The southeastern Mexican state of Tabasco's Congress approved a law to punish the dissemination of false alarms that provoke panic through phone calls or social networks, reported the newspaper Tabasco Hoy.
Senator and ex-Brazilian President Fernando Collor de Melo defended an amendment to a freedom of information bill that would keep "ultra secret" documents exempt from release, reported Folha de São Paulo.
The Brazilian minister of communications announced that Tuesday, Aug. 23, a bill defining Internet rights was ready and would be sent shortly to Congress for its review, reported the newspaper Folha de São Paulo. The bill has been under discussion for over a year.
Activists and leaders representing journalists' organizations have proposed a law to protect media workers in the state of Mexico, in the south central part of the country Mexico, reported the newspaper El Universal.
The Forum for the Right of Access to Public Information sent a letter to Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff asking her to speed up the voting process on a public information bill being debated in the Senate.
Bolivian President Evo Morales promulgated a new Telecommunications, Information Technology and Communication Law that establishes new rules for the distribution of radio and television frequencies.
The proposed law 84/99, which the Brazilian legislature is treating as urgent, would significantly limit the freedom of Internet users and threaten their privacy, warned the Brazilian Institute for Consumer Defense.
On Thursday, July 28 the Bolivian Senate approved the controversial Telecommunications, Information Technology and Communication Law. The law gives the state majority control of electronic media, according to local press.