A routine report on freedom in the press in the DR but signs of governmental intolerance in its relations with the press made by Committee for Freedom of the Press president, Rafael Molina Morillo at the mid-year meeting of the Inter American Press Association turned into a storm in a glass of water when President Mejia snapped back at Molina (see http://www.dr1.com/daily/news032001.shtml). Spokesman for the President, Luis Gonzalez Fabra, told the press yesterday that there is no official intolerance against the press. He said that acts of one individual couldn’t be interpreted as such. The most criticized among the government by the press is security assistant, Lieutenant Pedro Julio (Pepe) Goico Guerrero whose overzealousness regarding the President’s security has created frictions with the press. Hoy newspaper in its page 2 commentary today says it agrees with president of the PRD Hatuey de Camps that the government needs a spokesman. To add "but is that easy with an unpredictable boss of whom no one knows what he will say next?"
