(IPYS/IFEX) – On 19 May 2008, Roger Valera, of “El Informador” newspaper, and Carlos Sánchez, of “La Prensa” newspaper, were threatened and had their cameras stolen. The incident occurred while they were covering a student demonstration at the Lisandro Alvarado University’s Núcleo Obelisco, in the town of Barquisimeto, Lara state, central Venezuela. Valera told IPYS […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 19 May 2008, Roger Valera, of “El Informador” newspaper, and Carlos Sánchez, of “La Prensa” newspaper, were threatened and had their cameras stolen. The incident occurred while they were covering a student demonstration at the Lisandro Alvarado University’s Núcleo Obelisco, in the town of Barquisimeto, Lara state, central Venezuela.
Valera told IPYS that they were about to photograph the protest when they were intercepted by fifteen hooded individuals. The reporters wanted to take pictures of a car that a group of the protesters was setting on fire. The assailants threatened the photographers with broken bottles and stones, and took their cameras.
Sánchez told IPYS that he spoke with members of the university’s student center in an attempt to recover the cameras, but he was told that they did not know the demonstrators. The value of both cameras is US$3,000.
The photographers reported the theft to the Center for Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigations (Cuerpo de Investigaciones Científicas Penales y Criminalísticas, CICPC) in Lara state.
