News Group: Latin American Gov'ts Restrict Press

Populist leaders around Latin America are increasingly making legal and political moves to silence their media critics, the president of the Inter American Press Association said Friday.

Tactics include revoking broadcast licenses, fostering hostility toward journalists and giving a free hand to government supporters who have attacked broadcast stations, newsrooms and printing plants.

"We are extremely concerned at the growing level in recent weeks of harassment and violence in various countries," Enrique Santos Calderon told The Associated Press at the opening of the regional association's annual meeting in Buenos Aires. "Democratic systems require a free and unfettered press."

In Argentina, top editors are criticizing President Cristina Kirchner, who signed a decree this week ordering newspapers and magazines to be sold exclusively in union-run stands. Editors fear the government will now be able to prevent the distribution of newspapers that don't follow the ruling party line by enlisting pro-government unions to shut them down.

"From now on the sale of newspapers will be the only commercial activity regulated by the state," said Gregorio Badeni, a constitutional law expert in Buenos Aires. "It is obvious that they aim to curtail the free development of the newspaper business, because they're putting conditions on the sale of their products."

Fernandez didn't respond to an invitation to speak at the IAPA meeting, where attacks on press freedoms dominate the agenda.

But Fernandez openly sided with Argentina's powerful labor movement this week. Truckers union boss Hugo Moyano sent his members to block the distribution of Clarin, La Nacion, Perfil and other print media, demanding that drivers be put under the union.

Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo denied any government role in the bare-knuckled union moves by Moyano, who runs Argentina's largest union confederation and also is a close ally of Fernandez's husband, former President Nestor Kirchner.