Freedom of Expression forum gets cool response

A presidential call for a forum, on freedom of expression got short shrift from civil groups on Monday May 16.

The call was made after world wide condemnation about  government attack ads against journalists and the expulsion of two writers. There was also an appeal from the Archbishop of Panama,José Domingo Ulloa, for  dialogue, and President Ricardo Martinelli suggested the cleric act as mediator.

Luis Moreno, president of the Committee on Ethics and Civility, . said that the government needs to be committed to concrete changes in the way it handles the media or else the group will not participate. 

Martinelli has invited representatives of journalistic associations to sit down to talk about the issue of press freedom, which has been called into question recently due to the reporting of alleged acts of government corruption. The administration has been heavily criticized by international media organizations for its heavy-handed treatment of the media.

 Moreno  said the meeting had to  be more than  just "an exchange of words."

 "Real commitments means not forgetting, as has happened on many other occasions," he said.

 Professor Miguel Antonio Bernal, "this letter of invitation pours of hypocrisy."

 "There is not a genuine interest in improving and strengthening freedom of expression," the professor said.

Others commentators have described the suggested talks as a diversionary tactic to take  attention away from the scandals circulating around leading government figures, including the tourism administrator, suspected by the former U.S. ambassador and the DEA, of links to narco trafficking.