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Alert

Police look on while Pinochet supporters continue assaults on journalists in Santiago

(RSF/IFEX) - RSF condemns the violence against Chilean and foreign journalists by supporters of the former dictator Augusto Pinochet, who died on 10 December 2006, in the days before and on the day of his funeral in Santiago.

"These assaults demonstrate, if ever proof was needed, the utter contempt for freedom of these heirs of one of Latin America's bloodiest regimes. We call for punishment for those who carried out these attacks and for members of the security forces who were present, but did nothing to intervene to protect the journalists," the worldwide press freedom organisation said.

Some 200 Pinochet supporters set upon Mónica Pérez, Mauricio Bustamante and Iván Nuñez, of Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) television network, in front of the military hospital where Pinochet had just died on 10 December. The first two journalists had bottles thrown at them and the third was beaten up. The demonstrators also attacked Antonio Quinteros of Canal 13 TV television station and a crew from Chilevisión television network.

On 11 December, outside the Military Academy where the funeral was taking place, the correspondent for Spanish television network TVE, María José Ramudo, had her microphone snatched from her by an unidentified person who shouted into it "You Spanish are sons of whores", an allusion to the Spanish justice system's request for Pinochet's extradition, before starting to hurl objects at her. Police at the scene did nothing to assist her.