Radio Canelones attacked twice over the last months

Expression

Centro de Archivos y Acceso a la Información Pública (CAinfo) reported two attacks against Radio Canelones. The first incident took place in November 2018, when the broadcaster's electrical installation and transmission equipment were destroyed. The second attack, occurred on 24th January 2019 when a group of individuals broke into the radio station building, destroying the floor and some transmission machines. 

Radio Canelones is a long-standing radio station linked to the Uruguayan Communist Party, located in the Department of Canelones, 50 kilometres from the capital city of Montevideo. 

The Communist Party issued a public statement condemning the incidents and denouncing them as a severe attack against democracy and freedom of expression: 

"The action clearly aimed to get Radio Canelones off the air, since they destroyed all the necessary elements for the radio transmission but did not steal anything."

In another development, on 7th January 2019, the government issued a decree approving the 4th Open Government National Action Plan, which includes a commitment to reform the Access to Public Information Law. The reform process will include the participation of government authorities and civil society and is expected to be ready by December 2019. 

Peaceful Assembly

On 25th November 2018, an incident between the Minister of Internal Affairs and protesters from the tobacco sector took place during the reopening of a route between the cities of Rivera and Artigas in northern Uruguay.

While the Minister of Public Works and Transport was delivering a speech, some tobacco workers attempted to deploy a banner with the message: "No more pressure. The tobacco family wants to work in peace". According to a video, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Eduardo Bonomi, leaned back intentionally against the banner unfurled by the protesters, prompting a struggle with the demonstrators, after which security intervened and detained two people.