Judge orders arrest of man who threatened journalists
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 21 January 2009, criminal court judge Margot Pérez ordered the immediate arrest of social agitator Adolfo Cerrudo for having failed to comply with previous court rulings. Cerrudo has been charged with committing several acts of aggression against journalists, including threatening to rape a reporter for the “La Razón” newspaper. Prosecutor César Romano […]
CAPSULE REPORT: On eve of constitutional referendum, RSF urges politicians and media to act responsibly
(RSF/IFEX) – The following is an abridged version of a 19 January 2009 RSF report: ON EVE OF CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM, POLITICIANS AND MEDIA URGED TO ACT RESPONSIBLY As Bolivia prepares for a 25 January referendum on a new constitution that President Evo Morales has sought from the time he took office in January 2006, Reporters […]
World Report 2009: Bolivia
World Report 2009: Bolivia
IAPA submits investigations of two unsolved journalists’ murders to the IACHR
(IAPA/IFEX) – The following is a 23 December 2008 IAPA press release: IAPA submits two Bolivian journalists’ murder cases to Inter-American Commission With the aim of seeing justice done, the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) has submitted to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) the results of its investigations in Bolivia into the murders […]
Newspaper editors threatened after reporting on possible links between individuals close to the president and alleged smuggling operation
(IPYS/IFEX) – Since 9 December 2008, Raphael Ramírez and Juan Carlos Véliz, editors of the “La Prensa” newspaper, have constantly been receiving telephone calls in which the callers threaten to beat them up or warn that they knows which journalist was the author of a report about goods that were smuggled to Brazil. The report […]
Dynamite blast damages opposition senator’s radio station
(RSF/IFEX) – A dynamite charge was set off in the early hours of 18 December 2008 in front of the Atlántica radio station, which is owned by opposition senator Guido Guardia, in the eastern city of Santa Cruz. The blast created a sizeable crater in the ground and caused considerable damage to the outside of […]
President accused of avoiding private media, only providing information to state-owned television station; vice minister tries to intimidate journalist
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 12 December 2008, President Evo Morales avoided speaking to private media outlets during an official event at the National Police Academy (Academia Nacional de Policías, ANAPOL) in La Paz. According to reporters, the president’s spokespersons made them believe that Morales would hold a press conference in a certain hall, when in fact […]
Cameraman assaulted
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 21 November 2008, journalist Carla Flores and camera operator Carlos Saavedra, of the Red Bolivisión television network, were physically and verbally assaulted in the La Paz Public Prosecutors’ Office by a female relative of an individual who died during violent demonstrations that took place in Pando on 11 September. The assault took […]
AMARC welcomes inclusion of articles concerning communication in new draft Constitution
(AMARC/IFEX) – AMARC-Latin America and the Caribbean (AMARC-ALC) expresses its support for various articles in the new draft Bolivian Constitution. During a seminar on local radio policies and legislation, which took place between 19 and 21 November 2008 in La Paz, various members of AMARC-ALC took the opportunity to analyse and exchange opinions on the […]
Bomb blast damages newspaper offices
(RSF/IFEX) – On 1 December 2008, a dynamite bomb went off at around 1:00 a.m. (local time) at the offices of “El Potosí”, a privately owned daily based in the southwestern city of Potosí. The blast caused no injuries but resulted in damages to the station entrance and its computer equipment. Journalist Marvin Valda, who […]
Leader of pro-government group under house arrest after new attack on journalists
(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders voiced its relief after Adolfo Cerrudo, a leader of the radical pro-government Popular Civic Committee, was placed under house arrest on 14 November 2008. He took part in physical assaults, along with 200 other committee members, against a score of journalists outside San Pedro de La Paz prison, who were […]
Photographer receives death threats after photographing pro-government groups; governor accuses newspaper of taking money in exchange for publishing false information
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 31 October 2008, Pedro Laguna, a photographer for the “La Razón” newspaper, received four text messages with death threats against him and his family, warning him to stop taking pictures of the “collision groups” that support President Evo Morales. The messages were sent two days after the photographer covered the assaults suffered […]
TV station dynamited
(RSF/IFEX) – Television station Canal 13 of the San Francisco Javier de Sucre state university was dynamited in the early hours of 17 November 2008 for reasons that are still unknown. There were no casualties but the building was damaged in the attack. The station’s director, Roger Gonzales, told Reporters Without Borders that windows had […]
General Assembly 2008 Country Report: Bolivia
General Assembly 2008 Country Report: Bolivia
Bolivia’s Historic Moment
Bolivia’s Historic Moment
Police officer held in preventive detention for assaulting camera operator
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 24 October 2008, police officer David Leytón Alborta was placed in preventive detention for having assaulted a camera operator in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, eastern Bolivia. The decision calling for preventive detention of the police officer was made by judge Roque Leaños after he evaluated evidence presented by […]