Death of newspaper director who challenged dictatorship

DR WINSTON Robles, who was at the helm of La Prensa, in  the midst of a harsh military regime, died Thursday  December 22, in Paitilla Hospital.

He was a member of the board, associate director, director general and director emeritus and founder of The Associated Press. He was born on November 10, 1940. The funeral will be held Friday, 11:00 am, at the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Mary

In a 2005 interview  he said “La Prensa was founded and maintained with clear and consistent ideals: the defense of human rights, democratic values ??and the culture of rule of law, without which democracy dies , loses the sense of freedom and justice is a chimerical dream,"

Not surprisingly he  dared to confront the military dictatorship, even risking his life. "Captain, here is a rebel who says he will not leave the area," a soldier told his  boss when the paper was closed by the dictatorship on 26 July 1987. It was Winston Robles, who said the military would not move him from the building. Orders were given to leave him alone. Robles said in the 2005 interview – success as editor of the newspaper was based on: work commitment and consistency in the ideals and principles, and the value of time because "we can not leave anything for tomorrow, because tomorrow does not exist" and "tomorrow we will be busy doing the newspaper for the day after tomorrow. We are journalists, not historians. Journalism today, is the experience of the news when it occurs and the reactions and consequences it produces. Newspapers tell the story of a society that's 24 hours … journalism … report the facts to make news day after day there is no other way to do it. If someone wants to write a story about the discovery of America is good, but it is not news. It will be an opinion and, as such, you can say whateveryou like, "he said.

In addition to his contribution to the creation and consolidation of the newspaper, Robles was a Doctor of Law, graduated in Law and Political Science at the Free University of Colombia and a Ph.D. in Criminal Law and Prison Studies at the National University of Colombia, was vice president of the National Bar Association, and Professor of Philosophy of Law and Political Science at the University of Panama. Additionally, he was regional vice president the Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and board member of the Latin American Journalism Center. In 1978 he founded the University of San Pedro Sula in Honduras, where he served as academic director and professor of various branches of law.