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Alert

One journalist killed, another injured in shooting

(C-Libre/IFEX) - On 1 March 2010, journalist Joseph Hernández Ochoa, host of the "Encuentros" programme broadcast on Canal 51 television station, was killed, while Karol Cabrera, a journalist for the state-owned Canal 8 television station, was injured in a gunfire attack that took place at approximately 8:00 p.m. in the El Chile neighbourhood of the capital, Tegucigalpa.

At the time of the shooting the two journalists were on their way to Cabrera's home. The attackers, who were travelling in a vehicle, shot at the journalists at least 10 times. Cabrera was shot three times in the ribs and left arm, while the remaining bullets struck Hernández Ochoa. The Canal 51 journalist died at the scene.

Cabrera is involved in youth education programmes and has a television programme on Canal 8, in addition to a news bulletin that she works on for the Radio Cadena Voces radio station. In her work for Canal 8, she was a strong supporter of former de facto president Roberto Micheletti and is known for questioning the actions of the movement that called for a return to constitutional rule.

Security Secretariat spokesperson Leonel Sauceda said that Cabrera had been receiving police protection for three weeks prior to the shooting, noting that at the time of the attack the police officer guarding her was at her home, where she had asked for the protective services to be provided. According to both Sauceda and the police, Cabrera was the target of the attack.

Cabrera had previously received threats believed to originate from members of the movement against the coup d'état. On 15 December 2009, Cabrera's daughter, Katherine Nicolle Rodríguez, was killed in the same area of the El Chile neighbourhood.