Concern over future of Waked newspapers

 CONCERN over the future of Panama’s oldest newspaper La Estrella  and its stablemate El Siglo has been expressed by The Inter-American Press Society(IAPS).

The papers were placed on the Clinton list by the U.S. Treasury Department due to alleged connections between their owners, the Waked Family, and drug traffickers. The newspapers have been granted a temporary license, which expires July 6 to allow them to end their relationships with U.S. entities, a situation described by IAPS as “delicate”

According to the society, the pressure on these newspapers could affect freedom of the press in Panama.

“Despite the temporary license, the newspapers could have its relationships with suppliers, advertisers and advertising agencies severely impacted by the action,” said.Pierre Manigault, chairman of the society and the American newspaper The Post and Courier of Charleston, South Carolina, He said that authorities should “take into account that restricting the ability of newspapers to publish will have a negative impact on freedom of expression and the public’s right to information.”

La Estrella was founded as The Panama Star in 1849.An English supplement under the original name  was introduced in 2007, but was closed after 2 years. Its closure led to the birth of Newsroom Panama, whose publisher was the last editor of The Star.