El Salvador: Information on whether reporters, journalists and radio announcers, including FMLN radio announcers, are being targeted by death squads and/or other groups, 1992 to present
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 September 1997 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SLV27731.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, El Salvador: Information on whether reporters, journalists and radio announcers, including FMLN radio announcers, are being targeted by death squads and/or other groups, 1992 to present, 1 September 1997, SLV27731.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad8d8.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to a 1 July 1996 Notimex report and Attacks on the Press in 1996, several local and foreign journalists have received death threats by a right-wing clandestine group called Major Roberto d'Aubuisson Nationalist Force (FURODA) (1997). The same sources add that FURODA accused certain journalists of destabilizing the government (ibid.). The Notimex report and the 8 July 1996 edition of La Lettre de Reporters sans frontières state that Co-Latino director Francisco Valencia, Channel 12 owner Jorge Zedan and employee Mauricio Faunes received death threats from FURODA (1 July 1996; 7). Notimex states that Major Roberto d'Aubuisson was a former leader of the ruling ARENA party and was accused by some human rights organizations for organizing death squads in El Salvador during the 1980-1982 civil war (1 July 1996).
Attacks on the Press 1996, Country Reports 1996 and a 11 December 1995 El Diario de Hoy report state that 11 community radio stations had their equipment seized by the National Telecommunications Administration (ANTEL) because the stations were unlicensed and were interfering with radio signals of legal stations (1997; 1997, 445). El Salvador's Supreme Court ruled that ANTEL's confiscation of the radio equipment was unconstitutional and ordered that the equipment be returned to the stations (Attacks on the Press 1996 1997; Country Reports 1996 1997, 446). Attacks on the Press in 1996 adds that the radio stations in question are located in former FMLN guerrilla territory (1997).
Co-Latino director Francisco Valencia was arrested in July 1996 on libel charges by the National Civilian Police (PNC) (Country Reports 1996 1997, 446; Radio Cadena YSU 12 July 1996). Country Reports 1996 adds that Valencia was quickly released under bail (1997, 446). Please consult the attached Radio Cadena YSU article for additional information on Valencia's arrest and reaction by the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents to his arrest.
An 18 October 1994 IPS article and Attacks on the Press in 1994 report that former FMLN leader Joaquin Villalobos was arrested for making slandering statements against businessman Orlando de Sola who Villalobos accused of financing death squads (1995, 71). Attacks on the Press in 1994 adds that the courts directed the defamation charges instead to El Latino, the newspaper that printed Villalobos' comments (1995, 71). However, Sola successfully had the conviction overturned and Villalobos was convicted (ibid.).
The attached Attacks on the Press in 1996, 1995 and 1994 documents provide additional information of journalists and media outlets that have been threatened, censored or subject to legal lawsuits in El Salvador (1997; 1996, 89; 1995, 71-72).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). 1997. Attacks on the Press in 1996. [Internet]
_____. 1997. Attacks on the Press in 1996. [Internet]
_____. 1997. Attacks on the Press in 1996. [Internet]
_____. 1996. Attacks on the Press in 1995. New York: CPJ.
_____. 1995. Attacks on the Press in 1994. New York: CPJ.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1996. 1997. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.
El Diario de Hoy [San Salvador, in Spanish]. 6 December 1995. "Police Seize Radio Equipment, Close Stations." (FBIS-LAT-95-237 11 Dec. 1995, p. 28)
Inter Press Service (IPS). 18 October 1994. Juan José Dalton. "El Salvador: FMLN Leader Villalobos Arrested." (NEXIS)
La Lettre de Reporters sans frontières [Paris]. 8 July 1996. No. 86. "El Salvador: Le quotidien El Diario de Hoy est victime d'une alerte à la bombe... ."
Notimex [Mexico City, in Spanish]. 26 June 1996. "El Salvador: Secret Group Threatens Leaders, Journalists." (FBIS-LAT-96-127 1 July 1996, p. 32)
Radio Cadena YSU [San Salvador, in Spanish]. 12 July 1996. Ernesto Landos. "El Salvador: CO-LATINO Director Arrested on Libel Charges." (FBIS-LAT-96-137 16 July 1996, p. 30)
Attachments
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). 1997. Attacks on the Press in 1996. [Internet]
_____. 1997. Attacks on the Press in 1996. [Internet]
_____. 1997. Attacks on the Press in 1996. [Internet]
_____. 1996. Attacks on the Press in 1995. New York: CPJ, p. 89.
_____. 1995. Attacks on the Press in 1994. New York: CPJ, p. 71-72.
El Diario de Hoy [San Salvador, in Spanish]. 6 December 1995. "Police Seize Radio Equipment, Close Stations." (FBIS-LAT-95-237 11 Dec. 1995, p. 28)
Inter Press Service (IPS). 18 October 1994. Juan José Dalton. "El Salvador: FMLN Leader Villalobos Arrested." (NEXIS)
Notimex [Mexico City, in Spanish]. 26 June 1996. "El Salvador: Secret Group Threatens Leaders, Journalists." (FBIS-LAT-96-127 1 July 1996, p. 32)
Radio Cadena YSU [San Salvador, in Spanish]. 12 July 1996. Ernesto Landos. "El Salvador: CO-LATINO Director Arrested on Libel Charges." (FBIS-LAT-96-137 16 July 1996, p. 30)
