Relatives of people detained by police threw stones at the TV station's vehicle, hitting and injuring journalist Geovanny Vinueza.
(Fundamedios/IFEX) – On 7 March 2012, Geovanny Vinueza, a Canela TV station camera operator, was physically attacked by the relatives of people who were detained during a police anti-narcotics operation in southern Quito.
Iván Moreta, Canela TV manager and news director, told Fundamedios that on the evening in question, the “Pantalla Real” program team went to cover an anti-narcotics operation, during which four alleged drug traffickers were captured. After the operation, the police and various media news teams drove in a convoy to another site where the police were planning to carry out a raid. While they were driving there, the relatives of the detainees, who had followed the convoy, threw stones at the TV station’s vehicle which hit Vinueza, who was driving the car.
“They threw a huge rock at the driver’s window; they threw another stone and wounded him in the leg, collabone, arm and neck. Geovanny opened the car door and fell to the floor. A man picked up another stone meaning to hit him on the head. Luckily, one of the anti-narcotics officers saw this and stopped a more serious attack,” said Moreta, who also confirmed that the attackers fled and that it was not possible to detain them.
Vinueza was admitted to a healthcare facility that same night and released the next morning. However, he must still rest at home.
