(Periodistas/IFEX) – On 8 October 1997, the Cordoba Press Association (Circulo Sindical de Prensa de Cordoba) reported that a journalist in Villa Dolores, Miguel Izquierdo, had been “kicked and insulted” by Head of Cabinet Jorge Rodriguez, apparently for “asking questions that allegedly bothered him,” during a visit by Rodriguez to the city, located in the […]
(Periodistas/IFEX) – On 8 October 1997, the Cordoba Press
Association (Circulo Sindical de Prensa de Cordoba) reported that
a journalist in Villa Dolores, Miguel Izquierdo, had been “kicked
and insulted” by Head of Cabinet Jorge Rodriguez, apparently for
“asking questions that allegedly bothered him,” during a visit by
Rodriguez to the city, located in the northwest part of Cordoba
province.
According to journalists in Villa Dolores, on the morning of 4
October, during a recently-begun press conference that Rodriguez
was giving, he was questioned by Izquierdo, who asked him if the
Villa Mercedes-Villa Dolores gas pipeline had served to finance
his election campaign. Izquierdo returned at noon, as Rodriguez
was having lunch in San Javier, 20 kilometres from Villa Dolores.
During the evening, Izquierdo showed up for a third time, this
time in front of Rodriguez at the Arianne Hotel in Villa Dolores.
At that moment, Rodriguez was being interviewed by a journalist
from the local television station. Izquierdo persisted with his
question: “Why must gas consumers pay the political debts of
[Argentinean President Carlos] Menem?” According to the
journalists, Rodriguez lost what little patience he had and
reacted by insulting and kicking the legs of Izquierdo.
Immediately after, Rodriguez reportedly said to one of his
guards: “Take me away from him; I think broke his leg.”
Rodriguez later issued a communique “apologizing” to Izquierdo,
even though he gave a different version than the one supported by
the facts. According to Rodriguez, “as I was getting set for an
exclusive interview with Channel 4 in Villa Dolores, a man
appeared on the scene claiming to be an agent of the Side (Bureau
of Intelligence). During the interview with Channel 4, this man
began to ask questions insistently, which I readily answered.
Then, this person spoke critically of the President (Menem), at
which point I said that he was being rude.I then chose to leave.
If my statements and gestures in any way could be interpreted as
aggressive, I offer to whomever feels aggrieved – journalist or
not – my sincere apologies.”