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Alert

Journalist murdered in Estelí

(FIP/IFEX) - The IFJ Regional Office for Latin America condemns and laments the murder of journalist Rony Adolfo Olivas Olivas, which which ocurred in the early hours of 14 August 2005 in the city of Estelí, 150 km north of Managua. Olivas was a correspondent for "La Prensa" newspaper, a reporter for Liberación radio and president of the Estelí branch of the Nicaraguan Journalists' Union (Unión de Periodistas de Nicaragua, UPN).

Olivas was reportedly shot twice by a taxi driver, who fled the scene of the crime.

Olivas had recently written articles on drug trafficking. IFJ calls upon the authorities to not accept the preliminary version that alleges that the murder was simply the result of an altercation with the taxi driver. The IFJ also joins the call made by the Nicaraguan press organisations for Olivas's murder to be investigated exhaustively and in a completely transparent manner, particularly given that there is reason to believe that drug-traffickers are behind the crime.

Olivas was a well-respected and trained journalist and was sensitive to the social realities around him. He also had been firmly committed to the journalists' organizations he belonged to throughout his career.

The IFJ expresses its condolences and solidarity with both Olivas's family and Nicaraguan journalists.