The mayor of Santa Cruz de la Sierra threatened Pablo Calucho when the journalist attempted to ask him a question about the occupation of public spaces by street vendors in the municipality.
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 9 June 2010, the mayor of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Percy Fernández Añez, threatened to shoot ATB network journalist Pablo Calucho. The incident took place during an interview about the occupation of public spaces by street vendors in Santa Cruz.
When Calucho asked the mayor about possible solutions to the problem, Fernández Añez interrupted him and said, “I’m going to shoot this guy, I’m going to get my rifle.”
Santa Cruz’s Press Workers’ Federation and the Santa Cruz Journalists’ Association condemned Fernández Añez’s actions. The mayor has been known to threaten other journalists in the past.
IPYS and the National Press Association (ANP) demand respect for the right of journalists to carry out their work.
