Lawmaker, Journalists Association condemn union threats against journalists

September 9^th, 2015 (ICR News) Libertarian lawmaker, Otto Guevara and Costa Rica’s Association of Journalists (El Co­le­gio de Pe­rio­dis­tas) condemned on Wednesday statements made by ICE union boss, Fabio Chaves threatening journalists with violence during a massive general strike that a number of public sector unions announced for October on Tuesday.

In an official statement, the Association of Journalists said that while unions have the right to disagree with the media and the way in which journalists report the news, that any calls for violence against the news media is a despicable strategy to get their point across.

“We do not want to even consider that our journalists and communicators are going to feel insecure and fearful while doing their jobs, much less see any of our colleagues attacked by a mob emboldened by the incendiary words of one union leader,” Marlon Mora, president of the Assocation, said.

Libertarian lawmaker, Otto Guevara also condemned the threats by Chaves, calling his words “union terrorism.”

On Tuesday, public sector union leaders convened a press conference to announce a massive general strike in October, perhaps the largest in decades, during which ICE union boss Fabio Chaves issued a not-so-veiled threat that journalists and the news media could be targeted for acts of violence during demonstrations.

Chaves threatened that reporters could face acts of reprisals in the streets if the media doesn’t end what he called a “campaign of demonization against public employees.”

During the press conference, organized by union front Patria Justa, Chaves, flanked by Albino Vargas, the secretary general of the National Association of Public and Private Employees (ANEP), said that journalists shouldn’t be surprised if they face acts of aggression in the streets if the media continues to “demonize” public employees through “attacks” on their salaries and benefits.

The Solis administration has been under pressure this year to rein in excessively high salaries, benefits and pensions paid to public employees as the country’s fiscal deficit soars.  The media has reported on cases of excessive compensation in recent months, including unskilled laborers, drivers, and secretaries at ICE with salaries of up to ¢3 million per month, and sometimes more.

Speaking to a television news reporter for Teletica-7 after the press conference, Vargas said that people could interpret his words “however they please” and said that the media itself would ultimately be to blame for any acts of violence.

“We are fed up with you (the media) and your infamous campaign, you (the media) and the ‘right wingers’ will be responsible for anything that happens in this country,” Vargas said.  “Because if we are attacked, we will respond to it, both from a legal point of view but also from a point of view in the streets.”

Vargas later told La Nacion that journalists should be “very careful” around crowds of demonstrators if the “aggression of the media continues,” saying that the media are “stoking the fire” of possible violence against themselves.

Other union leaders however distanced themselves from Vargas’ rhetoric, with representatives of the dockworkers’ union, (Sintrajap) and the RECOPE (Costa Rica’s state-owned petroleum company) workers’ union saying they would not support any acts of aggression against the press.

The unions announced during the press conference a massive general strike in October, saying they would announce the exact date in the coming days.  The general strike is expected to be one of the largest in decades and could potentially paralyze the country, including the country’s ports.

Already confirming their participation are the National Association of Public and Private Employees (ANEP), the ICE workers union, the Allied Union of Petroleum and Chemical Workers (SITRAPEQUIA), the National Insurance Institute (INS) workers union (UPINS), the dockworkers’ union known as Sintrajap, the nurses’ union, amongst several others.