Bluefields - "La Prensa"
- Artist/Author/Producer: "La Prensa"
- Confronting Bodies: Press and Information Chief of the Government Junta
- Dates of action: October 1980
- Location: Nicaragua
- Description of the Art Work
- Unknown.
At the end of September 1980 there were strikes, unrest and
demonstrations against the government in the Atlantic region of
Bluefields, Nicaragua. The Press and Information Chief of the Government
Junta told two employees of the newspaper, "La Prensa," that they could
not report any of the events occurring in Bluefields. The employees
chose to continue reporting on the incident. The Junta then forbade the
publication of any of information regarding the Bluefields incident,
stating that "the revolutionary laws will be applied rigorously and to
their full extent against anyone who encourages and/or incites civil
disobedience and defiance of the authorities... "
- Description of incident
- As a result, the government prohibited "the publication of information on
counter-revolutionary acts, disorder, attacks on authorities, uprisings,
strikes, interruption of public services, take-overs of land, farms and
estates, etc." It is feared that the "etc." gives the government too
much leeway and may lead to more serious abuses of the law in the future.
- Results of incident
- In 1986, "La Prensa" was banned for receiving money from the U.S. and for
featuring a cover photo of President Ronald Reagan giving a victory
salute after Congress voted to give $100 million to Contra aid.
"La Prensa" has since reopened.
Source: Organization of American States, Inter-American Commission of Human
Rights