Intimidation of Panama journalists prompts ongoing protests

Journalists in Panama continue to protest about government intimidation highlighted by three incidents in the last week when working journalists were arrested.

The most recent was Mauricio Valenzuela, a Panama America photographer who was arrested on Wednesday after taking a picture of Judicial Police officers at a union dispute in the Canal area.

The photographer says he was handcuffed, stripped naked and locked in a cell with other prisoners, but police denied that version, but says the officers .who arrested him are being investigated. Panama America filed a complaint with the Directorate of Professional Responsibility.
Earlier Francisco Gomez a writer for La Prensa, who has written articles critical of the government, was detained at Tocumen airport for four hours and forced to surrender his Spanish passport.He was told that he had tax problems and if he left the country, he would not be allowed return. La Prensa lawyers later secured his release, and La Prensa reported that after investigation it was discovered he was owed $2000 by the tax authorities
The Forum of Journalists for the freedoms of expression and information and the National College of Journalists (CONAPO) condemned the incidents. Invlvolving medial personnel including Carlos Nunez,70 who has been in jail for 14 days

The Forum issued a statement which "deplores the intimidations measures taken by government officials against journalists.