What the papers say: Creating an instrument of oppression

As the government moves to restrict right of assembly, and demonstration many, including lawyers, constitutional experts, civil liberty organizations  and the Ombudsman have come out with strong criticism of a proposed new law which could put protesters in jail for up to two years for blocking streets.

This is what La Prensa said in Hoy por Hoy, on Sunday (April 11).
As Members of the Assembly are well aware, the President left the initiative to punish protesters who close the streets by imprisonment of up to two years,  to them . Although the demonstrations  carried out by SUNTRACS(the construction workers´union)over so many years, have tried everyone’s patience and have been repeatedly criticized in this column, the law to be adopted tomorrow in the National Assembly, as well as being exaggerated, is dangerous.

If we were to go back out into the streets in defense of freedom this government will have in the armory a useful instrument of oppression.

The president, Ricardo Martinelli, has cast doubt on the government’s tolerance of criticism, forgetting the decade that he bitterly blamed the politicians of yesteryear. Although much of the dark night of tyranny was spent behind a cash register, he was not oblivious to what was happening in the country, as we must remind the couple of ministers that once risked life and property [to protest]and who, now in power cannot allow such a danger.
The editorial was followed by numerous reader comments comparing the proposed legislation to oppressive measures introduced by Hitler and Mussolini.