La Prensa barred from covering hospital groundbreaking
ONLY days after Bloomberg published a scathing report on Panama, including media restrictions, the government, on Tuesday, February 4, prevented a La Prensa reporter from covering an official event in Chepo.
Luis Rodríguez was covering the groundbreaking of the Chepo Hospital when he was obstructed by Secretary of State Communication Luis Eduardo Camacho, who acted after seeing his La Prensa ID.
Rodriguez, who also works for Corporacion Medcom, detailed the encounter on Facebook. The journalist said he was the only member of the media excluded from the event.
The groundbreaking was attended by President Ricardo Martinelli, Social Security Director Guillermo Sáez-Llorens and Chepo Deputy Hernán Delgado. Martinelli has previously complained that media fails to cover his “achievements.”