FOPEA is concerned about a fire set in a car belonging to Raúl and Víctor Cortez, journalists for the VideoTar TV station in Tartagal, Salta on Monday 18 March 2013.
FOPEA (Foro de Periodismo Argentino) is concerned about a fire set in a car belonging to journalists Raúl and Víctor Cortez, from the VideoTar channel in Tartagal, Salta on Monday, 18 March 2013. The organisation calls on police to investigate the incident and guarantee the safety of the journalists and their families.
Víctor Cortez told FOPEA that he believes the fire was connected to his work as a journalist because he recently published a report on the drug trade in Tartagal. The journalist co-hosts “Reporter 4” and “Resumen Semanal de Noticias” with his brother Raúl on VideoTar, a local TV station.
According to initial investigations by local police, between 3 and 4 a.m. on 18 March the journalists’ car, a Fiat Palio, was moved from where it had been parked and was found near the home of the Salta regional police unit’s chief.
In 2009, FOPEA protested publicly against repeated attacks on journalists in Tartagal. In 2010, the organisation undertook a mission to meet with journalists and political and judicial officials on topics of free expression and guaranteeing the safety of media workers.
