Non-renewal of Prensa Libre raises free press concerns

The Legal Defense Institute, IDL, issued a statement today in support of journalist Rosa Maria Palacios and in defense of freedom of speech, following the non-renewal of Palacios’ nightly political program “Prensa Libre” by America TV. Palacios, a lawyer –a graduate of the Catolica and the University of Texas at Austin– and prize-winning journalist whose [...]

Nobel writer Vargas Llosa removes weekly column from El Comercio

Novelist and Nobel 2010 winner Mario Vargas Llosa wrote a harsh letter to the publisher of El Comercio daily on Monday, explaining his reasons for rescinding any right to the newspaper to republish his syndicated column from Madrid’s newspaper El País: Dear Publisher, I have asked the daily El País to, as of today, cease sending [...]

President Garcia fires justice minister

President Alan García sacked his justice minister on Tuesday after investigations revealed irregularities in a pardon granted to a former TV station owner. The decision to remove Aurelio Pastor, nine months after he was appointed as Peru’s minister of justice, was disclosed in a supreme resolution signed by García and Cabinet Chief Javier Velásquez, Radio Programas [...]