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Alert

Molotov cocktails thrown against television station headquarters; reporter threatened

(IPYS/IFEX) - During the early hours of 8 September 2006, unidentified persons threw two molotov cocktails against the facilities of the state television station Channel 7, in the city of Santa Cruz, eastern Bolivia.

There were no casualties or material damage. Security personnel were able to put out the fire caused by the explosions. Police are investigating the event.

Government spokespersons do not rule out that the attack may be linked to the protests organized by a group of opponents to the constitutional reforms undertaken by President Evo Morales's government. That day, several protest marches paralyzed all economic activities in four of the country's nine regions.

On the same day, journalist Juan Domingo Yanique, a correspondent for the state-run radio station Red Patria Nueva in the town of Pando, northern Bolivia, was threatened with assault when he covered a protest march by the opposition group Comité Cívico de Pando. The protesters stopped him from covering the march when he was identified as working for a state-run media outlet.