Paraguay: After Speaking Out Against Sexual Harassment at TV Station, Journalist Angie Prieto Faces Legal Battle
Prieto and her colleagues’ revelations sparked a national debate on sexual harassment of women journalists in the workplace
Location: Paraguay, Asunción
Date: September 26, 2023
The Coalition For Women In Journalism stands in full solidarity with journalist Angie Prieto, who lost her job and is being sued for defamation after speaking out about sexual harassment in the media industry. We applaud her for taking a stance against a station under investigation for numerous sexual assault allegations. We demand this sham lawsuit be immediately dropped.
“This demand is nothing other than the criminalization of women's fight for decent places to work. It is also a way of intimidating, punishing, and silencing our voices,” journalist Angie Prieto tells CFWIJ.
Journalist Angie Preito is currently engaged in a legal battle after speaking out about sexual harassment at Albavisión, a multinational media group.
In response to her allegations, Prieto is being sued for defamation by Marcelo Fleitas, the director of Albavisión. Preito's revelations and those of her colleagues have sparked a national debate on the sexual harassment women journalists face in the workplace.
“This demand is nothing other than the criminalization of women’s fight for decent places to work”
In April 2022, the misconduct at Albavisión came to light when four female media workers resigned, accusing press manager Carlos Granada of sexual violence and harassment.
Currently, Granada is facing criminal charges for sexual harassment, sexual coercion, and coercion. Six women have come forward to file complaints against him.
The charges against Granada include derogatory comments and physical violations, such as forced kissing, touching, and groping. Those who managed to avoid his advances faced punishment in the form of loss of television spots, constant changes in roles and schedules, or career stagnation.
Prieto explains, "When we found out about the complaints from our former colleagues, more workers in the media joined the cause and began to speak openly about the issue, and there we realized that there were many women who had suffered harassment."
Inspired by the resignation of the four women who reported harassment by Granada, Preito and her colleagues publicly protested the sexist culture they experienced while working at the television channel in May 2022. From these demonstrations, the #YoTeCreo (I Believe You) movement was born.
“For the first time in our country, a media outlet was talking about such events,” says Prieto.
“For the first time in our country, a media outlet was talking about such events”
The media company was unhappy with the protests and began disciplinary proceedings against a number of the women media workers speaking out.
“We were even victims of spying on our private telephone numbers by representatives of the media's senior management,” reveals Preito. "They sought to identify us and know what we said to each other."
As a result of her activism, Preito was sued by Marcelo Fleitas in September 2022, leading to a suspension of her contract with Albavisión pending the outcome of the defamation trial.
Prieto reported her illegal suspension to the Ministry of Labor and sought mediation with the company but encountered resistance. Consequently, she filed a lawsuit against Albavisión (Channel 9) for unjustified dismissal after working there for 13 years.
Despite the challenges, Preito remains steadfast, asserting that her dismissal was illegal. Her defamation trial is scheduled to continue on December 2, which will determine the progress of her labor trial against the channel.
The legal battles have taken a toll on Preito, both personally and professionally. Since losing her job, she has been unable to find work as a journalist and believes that her career has been cut short due to the backlash she received for speaking out.
The journalist’s case highlights the corporatism among senior media bosses who often blacklist those they consider "problematic." This partly explains why many press workers who experience harassment in the media industry remain silent.
Preito expresses, "Sometimes I think that I will never be able to recover from this strong blow in my life. It is not easy to talk about what happens to us women. It is not easy to be a victim of a system, to not be believed, and at the same time, to be invalidated and canceled from all spaces. It is unfair that as journalists, we must remain silent to continue working in precarious conditions and constant fear.
“It is unfair that as journalists, we must remain silent to continue working in precarious conditions and constant fear”
Preito's situation reflects the problematic working conditions for women journalists in Paraguay, where low salaries, precarious employment, and high-risk coverage are the norm. A survey conducted last year revealed that six out of ten women journalists in Paraguay had experienced harassment.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism expresses deep concern and outrage regarding the treatment of Angie Prieto and other women journalists at Albavisión. Prieto bravely spoke out against sexual harassment, resulting in her termination and subsequent legal harassment through a baseless lawsuit. She has also been unjustly blacklisted by influential media companies, severely limiting her job opportunities. Despite these challenges, Prieto remains resolute in her quest for justice and raising awareness about the pervasive issue of sexual harassment in the media industry.
We strongly urge the courts to dismiss the libel case against Prieto swiftly and call upon the Ministry of Labor to intervene and deem her dismissal unjust.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.