[Cincinatus' Wife]

IAPA stresses threat to media in Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, and around the world *** SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador - The InterAmerican Press Association, the IAPA, said Sunday that attacks on the press continue around the globe and in the Americas, and singled out Venezuela, Cuba and Haiti for criticism Sunday. IAPA president Andres Garcia said "attacks against the press continue around the globe and locally."

Garcia called the Venezuelan government "abusive" and accused it of threatening the media daily. Journalists in Venezuela have been threatened and shot at while covering clashes between pro- and anti-government protesters in the last year. Garcia called attempts by the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to impose a media content law as "nothing short of censorship of the press, while it continues to tighten restrictions on the major television networks." He announced that the IAPA will send a fact-finding mission to Venezuela soon.

Garcia also criticized the Cuban government for the recent arrest of a group of journalists, and expressed concern over Haiti, "where violence against the press continues especially to silence the few voices of dissident radio stations." Garcia cited new types of threats to the press, especially the electronic media. He referred to the upcoming World Summit on the Information Society, which he compared to UNESCO-sponsored New World Information and Communication Order in the 1970s. "This time they are indirectly trying to control the media, especially Internet and electronic media, under the precept that the world is experiencing a transition from the industrial society of the 20th century to information society of the 21st century," he said. ***

[Cincinatus' Wife]

LulaWatch - Focusing on Latin America's new "axis of evil" - Brazil - Vol.1,No.5***Commentators note that Lula and his government have made many promises but failed to take any concrete measures. As far as they are concerned, the only outstanding government achievement has been its own marketing. Great expectations generated by the Lula da Silva propaganda machine make it hard to turn campaign promises into immediate concrete achievements.

Political scientist Christopher Garman writes: "President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva risks wasting his 'honeymoon' with public opinion and generating great frustration." And he continues: "The government made a big mistake by fanning expectations that some reform could be carried out during the first year" (Silvio Bressan, "Especialista não acredita em reformas ainda este ano," O Estado de S. Paulo, 3/2/2003).

Economist Paulo Rabello de Castro emphasizes: "The government's policy agenda is fraught with doubts and can end up by generating even greater frustration" (Rubeny Goulart, "Os caminhos do governo Lula," Forbes, 2/15/2003). With its image declining, the Lula government is under strong pressure from its own supporters to change its economic policy and strive for profound transformations in line with the PT's leftist ideology. This creates uncertainty. Others have warned President Lula not to fall into temptation.***