PHOTOGRAPHER DETAINED BY MILITARY OFFICERS On May 13, 2012, Alejandro Cegarra photographer for “Ultimas Noticias” newspaper was detained by officers of the National Guard who later deleted the pictures he had taken. Cegarra was taking pictures during Mothers´ Day in Yare prison. This happed in the state of Miranda, 50 kms east of Caracas. Cegarra […]
PHOTOGRAPHER DETAINED BY MILITARY OFFICERS
On May 13, 2012, Alejandro Cegarra photographer for “Ultimas Noticias”
newspaper was detained by officers of the National Guard who later
deleted the pictures he had taken. Cegarra was taking pictures during
Mothers´ Day in Yare prison. This happed in the state of Miranda, 50 kms
east of Caracas.
Cegarra told IPYS-Venezuela that he was 100 meters away from the prison
taking shots of inmates’ mothers as they lined up to enter into the
prison, when officers of the National Guard pushed him to the ground. He
was told that he was not supposed to be in that place.
Then said officers took him to a small room where they demanded him to
place all his belongings on a table. They checked his camera and deleted
all pictures he had taken.
Cegarra said that while he was in that place, the officers pointed
their guns at him so that he would say the name of the media he worked
for, and whether a journalist was around. He tried to explain that he
was fulfilling his duty, his explanation proved to be unsuccessful as he
was handcuffed and taken to the headquarters of the National Guard.
Cegarra was freed after Erasmo Ramos -a Major from the National Guard-
got Ahold of Victor Escalona, a journalist of Cadena Capriles, to verify
whether Cegarra indeed worked for such media.
Before he was freed, the officers of the National Guard forced him to
sign and fingerprint a document as“evidence” that he was not mistreated.
FUNCIONARIOS MILITARES
DETIENEN Y ELIMINAN EL MATERIAL DE UN REPORTERO
GRÁFICO
El 13 de mayo de 2012, funcionarios de la Guardia Nacional detuvieron y
eliminaron el material fotográfico de Alejandro Cegarra, reportero
gráfico del diario “Ultimas Noticias”, mientras capturaba imágenes sobre
el día de las madres en la cárcel de Yare. Este hecho ocurrió en el
estado Miranda, al centro-norte del país.
Cegarra informó a Ipys que se encontraba a unos cien metros del centro
penitenciario tomando fotos de las madres de los presos que esperaban
ingresar al lugar, cuando dos funcionarios de la Guardia Nacional lo
agarraron por la espalda y lo empujaron contra el piso. Le indicaron que
no podía estar en el lugar.
Inmediatamente los efectivos lo trasladaron a un pequeño cuarto donde
le exigieron que dejara sobre una mesa todas sus pertenencias, le
revisaron su cámara fotográfica y le borraron todo el material.
Cegarra indicó que en ese mismo lugar, los funcionarios lo apuntaron
con un fusil para que dijera en qué medio trabajaba y si se encontraba
con algún periodista. Intentó explicarle que estaba cumpliendo con su
trabajo, pero fue en vano porque lo esposaron, le quitaron el carnet del
periódico
y lo llevaron a un comando de la Guardia Nacional.
El reportero gráfico es liberado después que el mayor de la Guardia
Nacional Erasmo Ramos se comunicara con el periodista de la Cadena
Capriles, Víctor Escalona, para verificar si realmente Cegarra trabaja
en ese medio.
Antes de dejarlo en libertad, los funcionarios de la Guardia Nacional
obligaron al reportero gráfico firmar y dejar sus huellas dactilares en
un acta como prueba de que no lo maltrataron.
