The Media law continues to be a topic of conversation in the political arena and, mainly, within the ruling coalition, as confirmed by the Colorado senator, Conrad Rodriguez, who insisted on rejecting Article 72 of the bill, which, according to his party, violates the right to freedom of expression, and therefore asked for more time to discuss the initiative.
At the beginning of June, the Colorado Party He asked to postpone the vote on the law until after the internal elections and made the same request again this week based on the internal discussions that are generated within the political force regarding article 72, added by Town meeting.
“It is a violation of the right of freedom of the press Yet the freedom of expressionwhich is sacred to us and we want to protect. But if we were to reject that article in the vote, we would be rejecting all the articles of the Senate’s amendments,” the senator assured Radio Carve.
The changes made to the Senate must be approved in Deputies as a whole block, which creates a dilemma within the Colorado Party since, among them, is the controversial article.
“The Senate made a mistake with the article,” said Rodriguez. “It is a tool that is not good for a government to interfere with the content of what a journalist says. How can we tell a journalist what he has to report and how he has to report it?” he questioned.
The role of the Executive Branch
In this regard, Rodriguez said that the request for postponement also corresponds to a lack of agreement within the Colorado Party. “We have small nuances. Personally, I think that what we have to do is approve the Senate’s modifications and publicly ask the Executive power to veto Article 72 so that it does not come into force,” he said.
Regarding the possibility that the postponement has to do with waiting for the Executive Branch to decide for or against the article, and the possible measures that it may take, Rodríguez left the door open. “Obviously, if there were news from the Executive Branch, Executive power, “There may be a change in the position regarding voting definitively on the bill not in August, but in July,” he commented.
However, the senator stressed that, in the event that the Executive does not carry out the repeal, it would be necessary for the Colorado Party to present a bill to veto the article. With this, Rodriguez insisted that it is necessary to vote on the law before the legislative renewal following the elections.
Questions surrounding Article 72
International organizations such as the UN and Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) They warned the government about the controversial media law voted in the Senate, particularly for the article added by Town meeting which could involve censorship.
The Regional Office of the Unesco in Montevideo and the regional representative for South America, United Nations High Commissioner, Ernesto Fernandez Polcuch and Jan Jarab respectively, expressed their concern that the project had been processed without prior debate and because it is contrary to “international standards in the matter of freedom of expression”.
“We call on the members of the House of Representatives, who will vote on this bill, to promote international provisions of human rightsas well as its subsequent consideration in consultation with social actors, including media, journalists and their associations,” they added in a statement.
For its part, the IAPA expressed its “alarm and rejection” of article 72 of the media law. The organization claims that it was “added at the last minute to a project that imposes regulations on content.”
“It generated questions and rejection in the media, academics and press organizations, among other sectors, considering it a step backwards due to its possible negative effects on the exercise of freedom of expression and for violating international standards in this area,” he said.
Source: Ambito
