On 22 July 1996, Jose Cardenas, the announcer for “Informativo Panorama” radio, operated by the ACIR Group, was dismissed for having ordered broadcast on 28 June a report on the appearance of an armed group called the Revolutionary Popular Army (EPR). After assessing its contents, Cardenas decided to broadcast the report, which was an in-depth […]
On 22 July 1996, Jose Cardenas, the announcer for “Informativo
Panorama” radio, operated by the ACIR Group, was dismissed for
having ordered broadcast on 28 June a report on the appearance of
an armed group called the Revolutionary Popular Army (EPR). After
assessing its contents, Cardenas decided to broadcast the report,
which was an in-depth investigation of the EPR and included
various opinions of the group by government officials as well as
recorded accounts from people in Guerrero, where the EPR first
appeared. However, before the broadcast had finished, Romeo
Herrera, head of programming and news director for the ACIR
Group, burst into the studio, grabbed the microphone from
Cardenas and ejected him from the studio, calling his actions
undisciplined and accusing him of putting at risk the ACIR Group
for having spread information about the EPR.
On 22 July, Cardenas was dismissed by the ACIR Group, which said
that “the ACIR Group practice of reporting the news had been
replaced by the Pepe Cardenas practice of reporting the news.”
Cardenas, who is well-known for his critical and independent
reporting, claimed that his dismissal was the result of
government pressure.
