And So It Begins: New Honduran Government Is Censoring Journalists

Foreign and local reporters alike are complaining that Roberto Micheletti’s new government is censoring their political coverage and has Honduran media in a stranglehold. The press has accused Micheletti’s administration, which has proven wildly unpopular with many world leaders  following the military-led ousting of former president Manuel Zelaya, of closing several news outlets, detaining international reporters, and habitually interrupting CNN en Español’s signal. 

The crackdown on dissenting reports began the very moment Zelaya was awakened in his presidential palace and transported out of Honduras  - stations went blank as people tried to make sense of what was happening in their country. Only news outlets loyal to Zelaya’s opposition returned to broadcasting after Micheletti assumed power. 

National Human Rights Commissionar Ramón Custodio Lopez weighed in on the alleged censoring:

There are journalists who Zelaya paid to insult me morning, noon and night. There is no censorship in Honduras. We have simply asked the media not to feed the conflict. The media that are closed are the ones that were feeding hate.

He added that he had yet to hear any complaints from the press.

What’s interesting here is that Zelaya was and is heavily supported by fellow leftist leaders like Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and the Castro regime in Cuba - both of which have been accused of controlling and influencing the press in their respective countries. 

Besides, dontchaknow that the more you allow people to dissent, the less interested people will eventually become in politics? It’s a trick we’ve used often in our position as a tyrannical megalomaniacal dictator.

Honduras new government is censoring journalists [Miami Herald]