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Alert

Journalists threatened, attacked during protests against the coup d'état

(C-Libre/IFEX) - Police and military officers once again attacked journalists and camera operators on 12 August 2009, in an attempt to repress them, as they were covering a protest against the coup d'etat in the capital city.

Richard Esmith Cazula, a camera operator for Canal 36, was hit and his camera was damaged. "I was filming the protest by Resistance supporters when a commando unit and military officers hit my right leg with a baton and then struck my video camera," he said.

"The camera is badly damaged, it doesn't record anymore. I can't do my work," added Cazula.

Telesur journalist Madelin García reported to C-Libre that a high-ranking police officer threatened her and warned her not to publish anything.

"He did not want us to take his picture and I asked him why not, 'If you're a public official, what could be the problem?' and he said that it was the journalists' fault that the country was in its current state. He warned us against publishing something about the incident."

Rosangela Soto, a Televicentro journalist, also reported that on 11 August she was threatened by protesters on Centroamérica boulevard in the capital, where there were riots after a protest by the Frente de Resistencia group against the coup d'état.