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Alert

Photojournalist harassed in Ciudad Guayana

(IPYS/IFEX) - On 30 November 2003, photojournalist César Rojas was harassed when he went to cover the last day to collect signatures for a recall referendum against President Hugo Chávez. The incident took place at a signature collection booth in a parking lot in the Alta Vista Norte area of the city of Ciudad Guayana, southern Venezuela. A representative of the Coordinadora Democrática opposition organisation, which was promoting the referendum against Chávez, insulted Rojas and insisted that he leave.

Rojas told IPYS that a National Guard officer, Captain Campos, subsequently began to push the photojournalist under the pretext that he was not supposed to be close to the signature collection table. Rojas said that he had his press card with him, which showed that he works for "El Guayanés" newspaper. As such, he could not find an explanation for the actions against him, particularly since he had covered several signature collection stands in other parts of the city without any difficulties.

Rojas assumes that he was identified as a Chávez supporter since the hat he had on was given to him that day by the Venezuelan Corporation of Guayana (Corporación Venezolana de Guayana), the region's development body, which is run by the national government.

Rojas is a member of the board of directors of the Ciudad Guayana Photojournalists' Society (Círculo de Reporteros Gráficos de Ciudad Guayana) and has been working in the region for more than 15 years.