New Peru Law Limits Lima Panam Publicity

(ATR) The Peruvian Congress passes a project that could hamper promotion of the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima.

The so-called "Mulder Law", named after Congressman Mauricio Mulder who promoted it, prohibits government projects and institutions from purchasing advertising in private media.

Organizers of the Panam Games are considering whether the new law could hinder the flow of information coming in the next year about the Games for the Peruvian public.

Backers of the law say that it can help save costs by forcing government projects to use social networking for promotion instead of paid advertising.

Around The Rings hears that Panam Sports leaders meeting on the Caribbean island of Grenada are concerned.

"The new law is expected to be contested and could be subject to repeal. Therefore, Panam Sports will wait until the full legal process is concluded before commenting on its potential impacts," a Panam Sports spokesperson said.

Lima 2019 president Carlos Neuhaus was cautious in his opinion.

"We are studying the law carefully," he told ATR.

"What we are saying is to see how we comply with the law and how to communicate," he says.

Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra expressed his opposition via Twitter. He says the law "prevents the Executive from fulfilling its constitutional function of communicating its actions, and it affects the right of citizens to information."

He says an existing Peruvian law already regulates the contracting of state advertising.

According to the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics, about 40 percent of the Peruvian population does not have daily access to the Internet, "which would limit the scope of the information considered to be of national interest," Vizcarra says.

The Miami-based Inter-American Press Association also is speaking out against the legislation.

Neuhaus was in Grenada accompanied by the director of operations of COPAL, Carlos Manuel Lazarte, to update the Panam Sports Executive Committee on the preparations for the Pan American Games.

The two-day meeting culminated on Friday with a ceremony at the Grenada Olympic Committee. Struck in 2017 by hurricane damage, the headquarters was financed with resources provided by Panam Sports.

It was the first time that the island of 110,000 inhabitants is hosting a meeting of the continental sports organization.

Neuhaus said the work for the games are on the way to completion.

The president of COPAL says he was told by the Panam Sports executive that Lima 2019’s preparations are on track based on the experience of other Panam host cities.

Panam Sports president Neven Ilic and secretary general Ivar Sisniega will travel to Lima the first week of July.

In September the Peruvian capital will host the General Assembly of Panam Sports with the participation of the 41 National Olympic Committees of the continent.

"There is a spirit of working together," said Neuhaus.

Reported by Miguel Hernandez.

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