(IPYS/IFEX) – On 8 March 2006, journalists Manuel Caballero Vidal, host and reporter for channel 13 program “Primera Edición”, Elmer Maguiña Cosme, reporter for the newspaper “Prensa Regional”, and Alex Mautino Vidaurre, reporter for Radio Melodía, were attacked by Justino Montes Colca, the mayor of the district of Chavín de Huantar, when they asked him […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 8 March 2006, journalists Manuel Caballero Vidal, host and reporter for channel 13 program “Primera Edición”, Elmer Maguiña Cosme, reporter for the newspaper “Prensa Regional”, and Alex Mautino Vidaurre, reporter for Radio Melodía, were attacked by Justino Montes Colca, the mayor of the district of Chavín de Huantar, when they asked him to comment on an accusation made by several citizens that he stole an electricity generator belonging to the town. The event took place in the province of Huari, Ancash region, northwestern Peru.
On hearing the question, Montes started hitting the reporters. Other council workers reacted in a similar fashion, going as far as seizing one journalist’s video recorder and destroying the tapes.
The reporters filed a complaint with the provincial police station. The mayor justified his reaction by saying that the reporters had not identified themselves.
