Doing research for my country report on Panamá, I read about numerous instances where government and law officials raided newspapers’ offices and incarcerated editors and journalists for publishing anything that threatened the government’s image. One of these stories caught my attention.
In 1998, Panamanian police went into La Prensa’s (one of the top daily newspapers in Panamá) offices looking to arrest investigative reporter Herasto Reyes for “defaming” President Balladares. Reyes quoted an ex-government official saying that Balladares tried to force the man to cover up a financial mess.
However, a group of journalists from all around Panama City went to the offices and blocked the entrance from the police, preventing them from gaining entry. I thought it was pretty cool that journalists have each others backs, and are fighting back, in a country where the government seems to be the biggest obstacle for journalists who want to bring the truth to the people.
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