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Alert

Football player assaults and issues death threats against "Popular" newspaper journalists

(SPP/IFEX) - The SPP condemns the actions of football player Marcos Lazaga, of the Olympia Club, who assaulted journalist Gabriela León and destroyed photographer Oscar González's camera. León and González both work for the "Popular" newspaper.

The two journalists were covering a story about Lazaga's girlfriend, who had called 911 for help several hours earlier, when the football player began to verbally and physically assault León, punching her in the mouth. Lazaga then turned on González, ripping his glasses off his face, then seizing the flash from his camera as well as a pen drive. He subsequently threw the items to the ground, completely ruining them.

Lazaga then proceeded to issue death threats against the two journalists and their families, assuring them that he "had enough money" to carry out his threats.

The SPP expresses its solidarity with León and González and condemns Lazaga's actions. The organisation is committed to accompanying and supporting any legal or journalists' trade union actions that the two reporters may want to carry out and will follow the case closely to ensure that the assault on the journalists does not go unpunished.