(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has voiced deep concern about a 27 June 2003 Molotov cocktail attack on the car of opposition journalist Marta Colomina of Televén television. Calling the attack reported by Colomina “extremely serious,” RSF urged the authorities to do everything possible to identify those responsible and their motives. Just hours after it happened, Colomina […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has voiced deep concern about a 27 June 2003 Molotov cocktail attack on the car of opposition journalist Marta Colomina of Televén television.
Calling the attack reported by Colomina “extremely serious,” RSF urged the authorities to do everything possible to identify those responsible and their motives.
Just hours after it happened, Colomina described the attack during her programme “La entrevista” on Televén. She said two vehicles tried to intercept hers as she drove to the television station in the morning. Four armed men leapt out of one of the vehicles and one of them threw a Molotov cocktail at her car. Fortunately, it did not explode.
27 June was Journalists’ Day in Venezuela and, in Colomina’s opinion, the attack was intended as a warning to all the opposition press. Colomina also works for Unión Radio and writes a weekly column for the daily “El Universal”.
As RSF detailed in its recent annual report, the press took a heavy toll from the political tension in Venezuela in 2002: one journalist was killed, around 50 were physically attacked, approximately 20 were threatened and six news organisations were targeted with explosives. The list is not exhaustive. The press paid the price of the growing polarisation between supporters and opponents of President Chávez. Journalists with the privately-owned news media headed the list of targets. The tension has not eased thus far this year.