(IPYS/IFEX) – On the night of 21 July 2003, an object exploded near the offices of Unión Radio, in the municipality of Chacao, east of Caracas. The explosive device contained pamphlets with messages directed against journalists and media outlets. No one was hurt in the explosion, nor were any damages caused. Valentina Maninat, Unión Radio […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On the night of 21 July 2003, an object exploded near the offices of Unión Radio, in the municipality of Chacao, east of Caracas. The explosive device contained pamphlets with messages directed against journalists and media outlets. No one was hurt in the explosion, nor were any damages caused.
Valentina Maninat, Unión Radio production coordinator, told IPYS that the box, which was placed about 100 metres from the radio station’s studios, exploded at 7:45 p.m. (local time). The pamphlets were signed by an organisation known as the “Bolivarian Liberation Front” (“Frente Bolivariano de Liberación”). They were directed against media outlets, the state-owned company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) and journalist Marta Colomina, who is a programme host for Televen station and Unión Radio.
According to Maninat, a commission of the security police (Dirección General de los Servicios de Inteligencia y Prevención, DISIP) arrived at the scene after the explosion. Early in the morning of 22 July, officers of the Judicial Police’s investigative unit also came to the site to begin an investigation.
The director of the Scientific and Criminal Investigations Unit (Cuerpo de Investigaciones Científicas, Penales y Criminalísticas, CICPC), Commissioner David Zerpa, said the CICPC had gathered evidence at the site.
Sergio Gómez, president of Circuito Unión Radio Noticias, condemned the attack and called on Venezuelans to put an end to violence.
Nelson Belfort, vicepresident of the Venezuelan Broadcasting Industry Association and president of Circuito CNB, also protested the incident.
This is the second time in less than a year that a similar event has occurred near Unión Radio’s premises. On 19 October 2002, unidentified individuals threw a bomb at the station’s offices. The building and an adjacent house suffered damages. In addition, the windows of a vehicle parked nearby were broken (see IFEX alerts of 19 November and 23 October 2002).
On 12 March 2002, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights called for precautionary measures in support of Colomina, after she received a number of telephone and written threats (see alert of 15 February 2002).
On 27 June 2003, at 5:00 a.m., four heavily armed individuals tried to set fire to Colomina’s car, as she was heading to the Televen studios in Caracas (see alert of 30 June 2003).
