Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy

The two-day seminar concluded a series of conferences and workshops initiated by the NIMD, Radio Netherlands, FreeVoice and local partners in the Andes region (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru) as part of a wider ‘Media, Politics and Democracy in Latin America’ project.

At the seminar, the situation in each of the five focus countries was discussed by the participants. Starting point for the debate was a report on the themes and conclusions derived from the national workshops. Examples of pressing matters were the sometimes aggressive media ‘attacks’ on certain politicians or political movements, the responsibilities of both politicians as well as journalists towards the public and recent developments in countries such as Venezuela in relation to the freedom of press.

The seminar discussions were generally characterized by high intensity and quality. The journalists, politicians and academics present engaged directly in discussions with each other, which created an open, honest and constructive atmosphere.

One of the highlights of the conference was a visit of the Vice-President of Colombia, Francisco Santos Calderón, who took the time to answer various questions after his personal speech. Towards the end of the second and final conference day, a regional agenda was agreed upon, summarizing the basic democratic ‘rules of the game’ for both the media and politicians.

With the seminar in Cartagena, the Media & Politics project wraps up its activities in the Andes region. All the written, audiovisual and other materials that resulted from the project will be put together in informative package on the subject. Starting with a conference in Antigua, Guatemala on April 16 and 17, the project will now focus on Central America.