In addition to coups, military strengthening and broader rifts between left and right governments scattered all across the region, Latin America has a new threat: the veto to mass media. As a result: the shutdown of newspapers, radio and television stations in Venezuela, Ecuador, and Honduras, most recently.
In Venezuela alone, according to “Reporters without Borders”, the licenses of 34 media companies have been cancelled. The reason? What President Chavez has considered a joint plot to delegitimize his government.
Meanwhile in Ecuador, President Correa is cracking down on independent media who is critical of his government as well as television stations like TeleAmazonas. The reason? The lawmaker considers these companies are irresponsible and represents a clear danger for democracy.
But not good enough, Honduran interim government has also followed the censorship mania threatening anti-coup media such as Radio Globo and Canal 36 to shut them down with the argument that these media are promoting social anarchy.
In this context, should the international community take these actions for granted? Who is right: the media which is entitled to launch any information and foster an authentic state of democracy with critical positions or the government which shields from opposition behind the excuse of protecting democracy restricting freedom of press? How is this affecting the course of our democracies? And should a president be powerful enough to restrict freedom of press?.
To answer these queries, I’ll start by saying that journalism should be a watchdog of politics, not taking care of ideological affiliations or positions by governments. Media has the call of improving life in community and the deliberation on political issues. It is also an important vehicle to stop silence and indifference on poverty and political corruption, keeping an eye on lawmakers.
To ensure democracy properly works, independent media, opposition and diverging philosophies are a must, nonetheless this is precisely what leftist governments want to prohibit and as consequence, Latin America is suffering the effects of regimes disguised as democracies.
If closing media guarantees the non- spread of opposition ideas, that’d make sense but our friends from Venezuela, Ecuador and Honduras should be aware that not even that will make it happen. They are parking on the wrong tree and at long last that’ll isolate them from a real democratic state.
I’ll conclude by saying that power is not a game, where governors can move the counters whenever they want, even violating the very same constitution. Community needs to engage in more spaces, needs to rebirth. So does Journalism. By that, I mean media has to work closer to people than ever. The fight against censorship is up to everybody. Is everyone’s business. The destiny of our society is at the reach of our hands. Democracy is the top priority and media is necessary to guarantee the order and variety of speech.
