Brazil
Newspaper distribution blockedPosted Nov 10 2008
Bandits in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro and Rondonia states have taken obstruction of the free press to a new level. In three separate incidents, groups of men have threatened distribution directors and have bought or stolen tens of thousands of copies of independent newspapers in order to halt distribution.
In the Baixada Fluminese region, armed men purchased 30,000 copies of the newspaper Extra on Sept. 28, essentially stopping the paper from reaching the public. The front page is believed to have incited the men, according to International Freedom of Expression Exchange. A prominent article alleged that members of congress lied to the public during their local election campaigns in order to safeguard their salaries.
Prosecutor Rogerio Nascimento, who ordered a police investigation of the Extra case, said attacks often occur against smaller, local circulation newspapers.
“Brazil has a history of coercion against the small press and it tends to increase if there is not a strong institutional response,” he said. “The regional press in Brazil is heroic.”
The distribution of the Seropédica-based Foco Popular newspaper was affected Oct. 2 when three men stole 10,000 copies of the paper. The Brazil Association of Investigative Journalists (ABRAJI) reports that Foco Popular reproduced the “Extra” report about Anabel Barbosa, a member of the state government and candidate for local election.
In yet another incident, the newspaper in the northern city of Porto Velho, Imprensa Popular, halted distribution when eight men threatened the distribution coordinator, João Paulo dos Santos. According to the newspaper’s directors, the men said they were defending Mayor Roberto Sobrinho of the Workers Party, who was up for re-election.
Imprensa Popular director Aldrin Willy has decided not to file a police complaint because, based on past experiences, complaints do not yield significant results. ABRAJI reports Willy as saying the intimidation of Imprensa Popular is related to the publication’s “combative editorial line with respect to the public administration.” He added, “If we don’t develop a mentality of effective respect for democracy, we will suffer the effects of authoritarian acts.”