The Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) held a meeting on Wednesday afternoon with representatives of the pharmaceutical sector, to which the state owes more than $1 billion for products and services provided over the past year. The meeting, which began promptly at 3 p.m., took place behind closed doors, and the institution decided to block press access.
Journalists and reporters were stopped on the sidewalk outside the MEF, denied entry even to the administrative area to wait for the meeting to end. Security chief Ramón Benítez told the media workers that he had instructions not to let them through.
The team tried to obtain information through the MEF Communications Directorate, but received no response. A request to access at least the anteroom in order to gather statements from pharmaceutical representatives after the meeting was also denied. Media professionals remained on the public street during the meeting.