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Journalists assaulted by police

(CERIGUA/IFEX) - On 31 August 2004, several journalists were assaulted by National Civil Police (Policía Nacional Civil, PNC) officers. The journalists were assaulted while covering the violent eviction of more than 1000 farmer workers from the Nueva Linda property, in Puerto Champerico, Retalhuleu department, approximately 200 kilometres from the capital. One of the journalists was seriously injured in the incident.

The journalists reported that the police officers beat them and seized their cameras in an attempt to cover up the excessive force that was being used against the labourers.

The journalists assaulted were Gerardo Montenegro, a reporter for "El Regional" newspaper in Quetzaltenango, Luis Romero and Mynor Toc, of DX television station in Quetzaltenango, Mario Morales and Marvin Guillén, reporters for "Nuestro Diario" newspaper, Edwar Morales, of Guatevisión, Fredy Rodas, of "Prensa Libre" newspaper, and Julio Rodas, Francisco Revolorio and Dervin Revolorio.

The attack on the journalists took place as they were trying to photograph and film a group of police officers beating an injured labourer. According to the journalists, police officers surrounded them, threw them to the ground, kicked them and seized their equipment.

Both police officers and labourers were killed during the eviction and an undetermined number of individuals were injured. According to reports, the labourers as well as the police officers were armed.