Taking part in the program “Panel Magik” on Saturday, January 10, journalist and media owner Jacques Sampeur called on the entire media sector to present a united front against the decree adopted by the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) “regulating the exercise of freedom of expression and providing for the prevention and repression of defamation and press offenses,” which, according to him, aims to muzzle the press.

The senior journalist said he was not consulted during the drafting of the decree. He noted that the document reminds him of other episodes experienced by the Haitian press in the past, during which heads of state attempted to subdue the media, particularly since the fall of the Duvalier regime. “Especially after the adoption of the Constitution, which granted certain privileges and special recognition to this sector, it has become difficult to inform in Haiti. Advertising revenues are low, media outlets struggle to operate normally, and local production is costly,” he argued, while praising the courage of media organizations that have managed to maintain a prominent role despite this difficult context.