Nelson Ortiz Pizarra was injured when Mapasingue Oeste locals started to throw stones at the policemen, reporters and camera operators.
(Fundamedios/IFEX) – On Friday 24 September 2010, Nelson Ortiz Pizarra, a camera operator for the RTS TV network, was attacked by a group of locals of the Mapasingue Oeste district in the city of Guayaquil, while he was recording images of a police drug crackdown.
When an officer attempted to detain a young man who was allegedly carrying drugs, the locals started to throw stones at the policemen, reporters and camera operators.
One of the stones hit Ortiz on the right hand, breaking two of his fingers, which meant that he had to have surgery. The cameraman reported to Fundamedios that his recovery will take two months and that he will not press charges for fear of reprisals.
According to the RTS TV report, one of the aggressors responsible for the attack was detained. He was allegedly in possession of drugs.
