Social affinity sends a letter to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights condemning the violations of freedom of expression in Chile | National

The Chair of Social Convergence, Alondra Arellano, the Parliament and the Human Rights Committee of the Amplio Front, wrote a letter to the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression for the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights, Pedro Vaca Villarreal. And the To request the Chilean government to submit a report on cases of infringement of freedom of expression in the country and indicate the measures it will take to respect this right.

In the speech, political leaders set various precedents and complaints to request the intervention of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Among them, they accuse the government of Sebastian Pinera of summoning the owners of the television channels La Red and Chilevisión to protest criticism of the executive authority in their programs; And the coordination of the senior command of the branches of the armed forces, which sent a letter to the director of La Red expressing its “rejection” of the content broadcast in the politically incorrect humor program, a statement endorsed by the Minister of Defense. Baldo Prokorica.

What’s more, In the document they mention the alleged espionage of Chilean journalists by the armed forces, He detailed that there were cases in which they were “intimidated” by the police and the armed forces, and reached the point of not wanting to participate or provide information on the causes of human rights violations, “for fear of persecution and the injuries they might be exposed to.”

Arellano noted that today they have “a responsibility to protect our democracy because we have seen in recent years how the armed forces and this government have eroded our freedoms, as in the latter case when we saw freedom of expression and the principle of freedom. A dangerous attack. The lack of deliberations of the armed forces.”

Along these lines, President of the Court Congressman Gonzalo Winter, He stated, “The government of Sebastian Pinera, with its various interventions to try to control or modify the editorial lines of the media, is penetrating one of the main foundations of democratic government, such as freedom of expression and the free exercise of the press. Here’s another sample of its authoritarian edges. Therefore, we will go to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. “

The letter was signed by President of Social Rapprochement, Alondra Arellano. Representatives Gonzalo Winter, Diego Ibanez and Gabriel Porec; Congresswoman Gail Yumans; Spokespersons for the Commission on Human Rights, Jaime Fuentes and Matthias Vallejos.

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