(PERIODISTAS/IFEX) – On 19 November 2002, a group of former president Carlos Menem’s supporters assaulted journalists, kicking and punching them, while they were covering a rally for the former president. Those most affected were journalist Martín Cicioli, from the Buenos Aires Canal 13 programme “Kaos en la ciudad”, producer Nicolás Chausovsky and camera operator Sergio […]
(PERIODISTAS/IFEX) – On 19 November 2002, a group of former president Carlos Menem’s supporters assaulted journalists, kicking and punching them, while they were covering a rally for the former president. Those most affected were journalist Martín Cicioli, from the Buenos Aires Canal 13 programme “Kaos en la ciudad”, producer Nicolás Chausovsky and camera operator Sergio Di Nápoli, who were accompanying Cicioli. Miguel Santiago, a producer for the Todo Noticias (TN) cable news station, and his colleague, camera operator Ignacio Marcalain, were also assaulted.
The incident occurred at approximately 7:00 p.m. (local time), after the event had finished. Cicioli stated that, upon arrival, the organisers prevented all the press, except for journalists from Canal 9 (formerly Azul TV), from accessing the area where Menem was located. While the press waited behind the barrier, a group of supporters approached reporters, began insulting them and then physically assaulted them. Cicioli stated that, “it was like an ambush.”
This is the sixth time in less than one year that an event involving the former president has ended in violence against media workers. On 29 November 2001, “Editorial Perfil” photojournalist Ana Paula Far Puharre was mistreated and assaulted while she was covering Menem’s resumption of the presidency of the Justicialista Party National Council. Other cases of journalists assaulted include: Daniel Malnatti of the Canal 13 television program “Caiga Quién Caiga” (see IFEX alert of 10 May 2002); members of the TN news crew and a photographer for the daily “Clarín”, both based in Buenos Aires (see alert of 28 June 2002); journalist Zaida Pedrozo, of Radio Ciudad in Buenos Aires; and other journalists, including Cronica TV camera operator Marcelo Álvarez and assistant Rolando Bazán, who were covering the former president’s judicial hearing (see alert of 4 October 2002).
