Editing Telecommunications in Paraguay (section)

===Media crackdown following June 2012 Impeachment of Fernando Lugo===
{{See also |Impeachment of Fernando Lugo}}

Following 22 June 2012 parliamentary coup that ousted [[Fernando Lugo|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.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121001002357/http://en.rsf.org/paraguay-censorship-at-radio-nacional-19-09-2012,43409.html "Censorship at Radio Nacional, threats and violence from president’s inner circle"], Reporters Without Borders, 19 September 2011</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120909025232/http://en.rsf.org/paraguay-in-continuing-purge-27-employees-05-09-2012,43332.html "In continuing purge, 27 employees fired from state TV"], Reporters Without Borders, 5 September 2012</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120717031756/http://en.rsf.org/paraguay-threat-of-purges-hangs-over-state-12-07-2012,43014.html "Purges in state media, community radios on alert"], Reporters Without Borders, 13 July 2012</ref>

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.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120818003141/http://en.rsf.org/paraguay-community-radio-stations-face-14-08-2012,43225.html "Community radio stations face crackdown for 'inciting crime'"], Reporters Without Borders, 14 August 2012</ref> 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.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120717031756/http://en.rsf.org/paraguay-threat-of-purges-hangs-over-state-12-07-2012,43014.html "Purges in state media, community radios on alert"], Reporters Without Borders, 12 July 2012</ref>