Yesterday, motorized police fired rubber bullets at dozens of people during the second consecutive day of demonstrations against the so-called Omnibus Law, which provides for the privatization of public companies, the granting of legislative powers to the Executive and the declaration of a period of emergency.

The troops also used batons, tear gas and hydrant trucks to remove the citizens from the streets and force them to go up to squares and sidewalks.

“From Sipreba we condemn the repression against those who were demonstrating while regressive reforms for society were being discussed.”

We also reject the deliberate attacks by the security forces on press professionals who suffered injuries for doing their work’, states a communiqué from that organization.

From the union we count more than 30 colleagues from public, private and self-managed media with impacts of rubber bullets, blows and damages caused by tear gas.

Many of them had to be treated by medical personnel, he adds.

The union also rejected ‘the government’s attempt to privatize the public media, close the Ombudsman’s Office and put an end to promotion programs, among other decisions, which directly affect freedom of expression and the right to information’.

We call for an end to the repressive actions and demand that our colleagues can carry out their journalistic work in peace, without aggressions or impediments.

Freedom of the press is a fundamental pillar of democracy that must be defended, guaranteed and respected by all the powers of the State and the political and economic sectors that are part of our society,” he concludes.

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