Paraguay

Paraguay is a South American country which practices Christianity. Censorship was pervasive during Alfredo Stroessner's regime.

General censorship

The law provides for freedom of speech and press, and the government generally respects these rights in practice. Individuals criticize the government publicly and privately, generally without reprisal or impediment.

Because of their reporting, journalists are on occasion subjected to harassment, intimidation, and violence—primarily from drug trafficking gangs and criminal syndicates based in departments bordering Brazil but also from politicians. Political officials often retaliate against media criticism by invoking criminal libel laws and suing the media to intimidate journalists and suppress further investigations.

Following 22 June 2012 parliamentary coup that ousted President Fernando Lugo and made then Vice President, Federico Franco, the new President, the new government appears to be in the process of assuming complete control of the state-owned media and its hostility is affecting journalists with the privately owned media as well.

In what is seem as an attempt by the government to further control the media, the leader of the Paraguay Broadcasters Union (URP) has called for action against "more than 1,200 pirate radios operating in the country" which he accused of "inciting crime" on many occasions. He also asked the telecoms watchdog CONATEL to withdraw the licences of all stations implicated in what he termed illegal acts, without specifying what they were. There is tension between community radio stations, many of which were staunch opponents of 22 June coup, and the new government due to changes in the recently amended Telecommunications law that could adversely affect the future of community radio stations, many of which are poorly funded and not yet in possession of broadcasting licences. New clauses in the law place a ban on advertising on such stations, restrict their transmission range, and open the possibility of legal action against their representatives if they broadcast without a licence.

Film censorship

• The Great Dictator - this comedy film starring Charlie Chaplin was banned under the military regime of Higinio Morinigo.
• Sacco & Vanzetti - this docudrama film about the trial and execution ofNicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, two anarchists of Italian origin who were sentenced for death for murdering a guard was banned under the rule of Alfredo Stroessner for "encouraging Communism".
• The Deer Hunter - this epic war drama film was banned during the presidency of Stroessner for "danger of being misunderstood".

Internet censorship

The law in Paraguay provides for freedom of speech and press, and the government generally respects these rights in practice. Individuals criticize the government publicly and privately, generally without reprisal or impediment. There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet or credible reports that the government monitored e-mail or Internet chat rooms. Individuals and groups could engage in the expression of views via the Internet, including by e-mail.

Video game censorship

This article is a stub. Please help the Censorship Wiki by expanding it.