El Salvador's President Elías Antonio Saca said the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) is making a "praiseworthy" work, and downplayed the expression "media terrorism," claiming it was not applicable to the news media in the hemisphere, Efe reported.

"I would like to say that in the case of the Inter-American Press Association I do believe they are making a praiseworthy work," Saca replied when asked about the half-yearly meeting the IAPA is holding next March 28-30 in Caracas and the forum on "media terrorism" -sponsored by the Venezuelan government- which is taking place in parallel to the IAPA meeting.

The forum against "media terrorism" was announced by President Hugo Chávez, who believes that "it is necessary to address issues like this, as the media terrorism is using the media -radio, newspapers, and television- to foster war, violence, fear, and anxiety among the peoples."

Saca said he respected his Venezuelan counterpart's decisions and he would rather not comment on domestic affairs. However, he stressed that "thanks to the work of the IAPA and the International Association of Broadcasting (AIR/IAB), the role of the news media has been valued in many cases."

"Freedom of expression is not a decision a Head of State makes in favor of his people, but it is the people who have the right to freedom of expression, the right to the free circulation of the ideas," Saca added.

"I do not think the term media terrorism is the appropriate description for the media in the American continent," he concluded.