(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – Rural journalist Januario Vásquez, a correspondent in Ocotepeque, a town in western Honduras, for Radio Globo and the television news programme “Abriendo Brecha”, both of which cover events across the country and broadcast from the capital, Tegucigalpa, has been the target of intimidation for having reported on contraband sales of fuel in which […]
(PROBIDAD/IFEX) – Rural journalist Januario Vásquez, a correspondent in Ocotepeque, a town in western Honduras, for Radio Globo and the television news programme “Abriendo Brecha”, both of which cover events across the country and broadcast from the capital, Tegucigalpa, has been the target of intimidation for having reported on contraband sales of fuel in which he alleges a local justice of the peace is involved.
In February, the journalist reported in the two media outlets for whom he works on the contraband sales of fuels, specifically kerosene for home use, originating in El Salvador. According to Vásquez, Justice of the Peace German Villeda is involved in the contraband. Vásquez said the magistrate “has been attempting to scare me since the information went out, because the evidence indicates that he, in his position of power, is benefiting from this illicit business.”
Vásquez was stopped on 24 February 2006 at 11:00 p.m (local time) by people close to the magistrate as the journalist was beginning to film the movements of the contraband material, as part of his investigative work. He says, “an individual who hangs around with the magistrate aimed a gun at me and accused me of defaming the magistrate, and told me to watch out.”
After denouncing the incident on the national television and radio news programmes, Vásquez was visited on 27 February by a lawyer hired by Villeda, who told him he would be sued for defamation and slander, but that “if we reach an agreement, we can drop the matter.”
The threat reported by Vásquez is not the first of its nature, but it is the first direct threat that a journalist has received from a member of the judiciary, the main body responsible for administering justice.
This alert was prepared by PROBIDAD with information provided by the Committee for Free Expression (Comité por la Libre Expresión, C-Libre).
