(IPYS/IFEX) – On 7 November 2005, a number of journalists who were covering a press conference at the Palacio de Justicia in Caracas, the main courthouse and seat of the judiciary, were prevented from doing their jobs. Belkys Cedeño, head of the Caracas Metropolitan Area Criminal Justice Circuit, ordered that the electricity supply to the […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 7 November 2005, a number of journalists who were covering a press conference at the Palacio de Justicia in Caracas, the main courthouse and seat of the judiciary, were prevented from doing their jobs. Belkys Cedeño, head of the Caracas Metropolitan Area Criminal Justice Circuit, ordered that the electricity supply to the press room be cut. In addition, a photographer was struck by one of the court officials.
The incident occurred while Judge María Mercedes Prato, who was dismissed on 3 November, was explaining to the media that the order for her dismissal, which was issued by Cedeño, was irregular. A National Guard officer cut the electricity supply to the courthouse press room, forcing television crews to switch to their battery supplies to continue taping or broadcasting live.
Cedeño’s intent was to stop journalists from finding out more about the dismissed judge’s accusations. Failing that, she ordered that Prato be forcefully evicted from the room as dismissed judges are not permitted to enter the courts. At that moment, an official from the Judiciary’s Executive Department (Direccion Ejecutiva de la Magistratura) attempted to hinder the work of photographers and camera operators and struck a camera which hit Cheo Pacheco, a photographer for “El Universal” newspaper, in the face.
