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Alert

Journalist assaulted by President Chávez's supporters

(IPYS/IFEX) - On Thursday 23 May 2002, journalist Celina Carquez, of the "El Nacional" newspaper, was physically and verbally assaulted by a group of protesters who support President Hugo Chávez. Carquez was assaulted while carrying out her journalistic duties at the Llaguna bridge on Urdaneta Avenue, a few metres from the Miraflores presidential palace.




On the day of the attack, an opposition march was making its way to the Public Prosecutor's Office to demand the resignation of Attorney General Isaías Rodríguez. At the same time, a group of Chávez supporters began to congregate just outside the Miraflores palace.

The journalist told IPYS that she crossed over to Urdaneta Avenue to find out why people were protesting. At this point, she saw "chavista" leader Lina Ron who was accompanied by three bodyguards carrying portable radios.

Carquez approached Ron to ask her about the protest and Ron responded that she was there to demonstrate her support for Rodríguez. Later on, a caravan of protesters arrived in vehicles shouting slogans such as "long live the revolution". The journalist approached one of the drivers to ask him where he had come from and why he was there. Suddenly a group of protesters, wearing the "Círculos Bolivarianos" emblem, approached her and began to aggressively interrogate her.

Despite the fact that Carquez identified herself as a journalist, the protesters surrounded her and would not let her leave. "Their faces turned red with anger when they saw my identification card and discovered that I worked with 'El Nacional'," said Carquez.

Subsequently, one of Ron's bodyguards pushed her out of the crowd and indicated that there was a problem. "You have to get out of here. There's been some confusion. Leave now!" he told her.

Carquez left and called the newspaper to let them know what had happened, but returned in search of her photographer who had stayed at the site of the protest. Once again, she was harassed by presidential supporters who took her notebook and threatened to hit her.

Carquez met with Vladimir Villegas, a journalist recently appointed as Venezuela's ambassador to Brazil, who accompanied her to speak with her aggressors. These individuals accused Miguel Enrique Otero, "El Nacional" editor, of being a conspirator and told Carquez that her notebook had been taken to officials at the Casa Militar, the unit responsible for security at the presidential palace and surrounding area.

Recommended Action

Send appeals to authorities:
- protesting the Carquez case
- calling on President Chávez to ensure that measures are taken to prevent his supporters from acting aggressively towards journalists and prohibiting them from freely carrying out their jobs

Appeals To

Hugo Chávez
President of the Republic
Palacio de Miraflores
Avenida Urdaneta
Caracas, Venezuela
Fax: +58 212 806 3109 / 806 3221

José Vicente Rangel
Vice-president of the Republic
Vicepresidencia
Avenida Urdaneta
Caracas, Venezuela
Fax: +58 212 863 3938

Colonel Almidien Moreno Acosta
Casa Militar Chief
Casa Militar, Palacio de Miraflores
Avenida Urdaneta
Caracas, Venezuela
Fax: +58 212 806 3994

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.