(IPYS/IFEX) – On the afternoon of 24 September 2006, members of the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (Asamblea Popular del Pueblo de Oaxaca, APPO) threatened Ricardo Rocha, journalist and director of the news agency Detrás de la Noticia (DDN), and stripped him of his work equipment. The incident took place when Rocha was […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On the afternoon of 24 September 2006, members of the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (Asamblea Popular del Pueblo de Oaxaca, APPO) threatened Ricardo Rocha, journalist and director of the news agency Detrás de la Noticia (DDN), and stripped him of his work equipment. The incident took place when Rocha was interviewing several legislators in the lobby of the Hotel Camino Real in the state of Oaxaca, southern Mexico.
Dozens of APPO members burst in, apparently believing that Oaxaca Governor Ulises Ruiz was one of the men being interviewed by the journalist. When they realized the governor was not there, they detained the journalist. They then took his cameras from him and assaulted him. This is one of several aggressive actions with which the APPO has been demanding the resignation of Governor Ruiz.
For two months now, Oaxaca has been in the midst of a social conflict which has affected freedom of the press (on previous protests and related conflict, see IFEX alerts of 25 September, 31, 28, 24, 23, 22 and 10 August, 25 and 24 July, and 19 June 2006). Several journalists have been threatened by the APPO because of their work.
IPYS believes that APPO members have infringed on freedoms of the press and of expression, using the restriction of these rights in order to pressure for their demands to be met.
