Depredador(a)

Alexander LUKASHENKO

Presidente de la República de Bielorrusia desde 1994

Depredador desde que llegó al poder / Se ha endurecido desde agosto de 2020

Bielorrusia, 158°/180 en la Clasificación Mundial de la Libertad de Prensa 2021

Dear [Name of Candidate],

I am writing to ask you what you plan to do to defend the First Amendment, freedom of the press, and the fundamental rights of journalists to practice their profession freely in what has become an increasingly hostile environment for information and news providers.

The United States, which enshrines press freedom in the First Amendment of its Constitution, is currently witnessing a drastic decline in media freedom. On June 28, one of the most horrific attacks on press freedom in the United States occurred when five employees, including four reporters, were killed at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. According to the US Press Freedom Tracker, which comprehensively documents press freedom violations in the US committed by national, state, and local authorities as well as private individuals, 33 journalists were arrested, 43 were physically attacked, and 15 seizures of journalists’ equipment occurred in 2017. In one of these incidents, Rep. Greg Gianforte physically assaulted a Guardian journalist the night before his state’s election. While covering the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, journalists were impersonated on social media, impeding their ability to accurately investigate the facts and disseminate information which could be vital to preventing a similar tragedy. This hostility towards the press not only risks compromising the American public’s right to be informed through journalists’ reporting, but can also degrade the public’s trust in the media itself.

This is not a partisan issue; it is a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics. Journalism is at the crux of our democracy, and communities everywhere rely on journalists to provide them with information that is essential to their daily decision-making processes. It was local investigative journalist Curt Guyette who broke the story about Flint, Michigan’s lack of access to clean water in 2014, prompting years of class-action lawsuits, protests, and subsequent federal assistance to the city in order to try to resolve the crisis. Reporters Megan Twohey, Jodi Kantor, and Ronan Farrow publicized sexual assault allegations against influential Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017, leading to the ubiquitous and powerful #MeToo movement which brought decades of sexual abuse and harassment across multiple industries to light.

Yet freedom of the press in the US is currently in dire need of congressional support. It is our civic duty as one of the world’s leading democracies to uphold principles that support and protect the rights of journalists so that they may hold those in power accountable and ensure an informed and engaged community.

If you are elected, what do you plan to do to protect this utterly essential component of our democracy? What are your plans to protect the public’s right to be informed through a free and independent press?

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Hello, my name is _______ and I am from [city, state].

I’m calling to let you know that [candidate/representative]'s stance on freedom of the press is extremely important in my decision to vote. I feel that this is not a partisan issue, but a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics.

I have become increasingly concerned with the growing climate of hostility for journalists in this country, and I would like for [candidate/representative] to publicly address what they will do to defend press freedom if [he/she] is elected.

Thank you.

Freedom of the press is suffering in the US. @[yourcandidate] if you are elected to serve in Congress, what are your plans to protect journalists and our right to be informed? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

Democracy depends on a free and independent press and its ability to hold those in power accountable. [@yourcandidate] will you take measures to protect journalism and the First Amendment? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

In June, four reporters were murdered in an appalling targeted attack on the Capital Gazette and freedom of the press. [@yourcandidate] what will you do to address the growing threat to journalists in this country? #DefendPressFreedom

Press freedom is in steady decline in the US. I want my representative to defend the work of journalists as well as my right to be informed. [@yourcandidate] if you are elected what will you do to protect a free press? #DefendPressFreedom

Journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. And yet in the US, attacks on journalists are becoming more common, undermining the media's role and creating opportunities for government overreach, the erosion of press freedom, and impeding our right to be informed. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join me at DefendPressFreedom.com

A free press is essential to our democracy. Communities everywhere rely on journalists to report on our government’s actions and hold public figures accountable, providing us with the information we need to make decisions every day. And yet physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists in the US are increasing at an astonishing rate. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. You should too. Read more at DefendPressFreedom.com

Press freedom is declining in the US at an alarming rate. Physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists have increased drastically in the last two years. As the US midterm elections approach, we must remind our congressional candidates that journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. I’m contacting my representatives and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join in and help me spread the word at DefendPressFreedom.com

MÉTODO DE DEPREDACIÓN: el terrorismo de Estado

Desde su contestada reelección en agosto de 2020, Alexander Lukashenko, a quien los medios occidentales le han dado el apodo de "el último dictador de Europa", ha instaurado una ofensiva sin precedentes contra los periodistas. Una de sus prioridades es evitar cualquier cobertura mediática de los movimientos de protesta en el país. Detenciones masivas, violencia –e incluso tortura-, amenazas, cortes de internet, censura de webs de información de referencia y de la prensa escrita... El depredador no duda en modificar la legislación para obstaculizar y criminalizar el trabajo de los medios de comunicación: ahora, a los periodistas que cubren los acontecimientos no autorizados se les considera participantes en estos eventos; la retransmisión en directo por internet está prohibida, y la lista de motivos para denegar la acreditación cada vez es más larga. Las acusaciones falsas también forman parte del arsenal de Lukashenko. El sistema de justicia, sumiso al poder, está comenzando a equiparar el trabajo de los periodistas independientes con el "extremismo". Ante una represión de tal magnitud, muchos periodistas bielorrusos se han visto obligados a exiliarse, principalmente a Polonia, Ucrania y los países bálticos.

OBJETIVOS PREDILECTOS: intolerancia sin límites contra los periodistas independientes

En la actualidad hay una importante cifra de periodistas detenidos de forma arbitraria en Bielorrusia. Alexander Lukashenko no escatima recursos para silenciarlos, y ha llegado incluso a ordenar el secuestro de un avión civil que sobrevolaba su territorio para detener al periodista Raman Pratassevich, una acción sin precedentes destinada a aterrorizar a los periodistas que viven en Bielorrusia, pero también a los que están en el extranjero. El destino de este último en prisión es alarmante, al igual que el de otros periodistas que han sufrido torturas y tratos inhumanos, como le ocurrió al corresponsal de la radio pública alemana Deutsche Welle Alexander Burakov. Por último, los ejecutivos del principal medio de comunicación independiente, Tut.By, están acusados de evasión fiscal sin pruebas concretas.

DISCURSO OFICIAL: radical

"Hoy en día, todo el mundo debe entender con qué propósito concreto se han creado recursos de información sesgada en todo el país: webs, canales de Telegram, videoblogs, grupos en redes sociales, mensajería instantánea (...). Es importante que se entienda que no estamos combatiendo la disidencia o las opiniones diferentes. Es solo que la libertad de expresión, que protegemos en la Constitución, se ha convertido hoy en una actividad extremista. Lucharemos contra esto con determinación. No daremos ni un paso atrás". (Palabras dirigidas a funcionarios el 30 de julio de 2021, durante una reunión para discutir asuntos sociopolíticos, entre ellos el acceso a la información en Bielorrusia).

"No esperéis a que se acabe la campaña electoral. Echadlos fuera si no respetan nuestras leyes y tratan de reproducir aquí el Maidán [la revolución ucraniana]". (Comentarios dirigidos a los medios de comunicación, el 23 de junio de 2020, durante una reunión con miembros del gobierno y dirigidos en particular a Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty y la BBC, a los que acusan de provocar los disturbios en Bielorrusia).