Bolivian Catholic Newspaper Closes, for Now

LA PAZ, Bolivia, JUNE 3, 2001 (Zenit.org).- The 49-year-old Catholic newspaper Presencia closed Saturday because of financial problems and laid off 130 employees.

The newspaper called the shutdown temporary and said it needed to "restructure the enterprise."

The Bolivian bishops´ conference, which owns the newspaper, said that Presencia for some time has been suffering financially. Employees said the paper´s problems reflect the nation´s situation.

During the 1980s, military governments took over the paper several times after it criticized them.