MARCH 22, 2006
Posted May 5, 2006
Manuel Da Silva, El Zondino
THREATENED
Da Silva, editor and director of the bimonthly publication El Zondino in the western province of San Juan, was threatened with death by the local mayor Francisco Porra.
According to Da Silva, the mayor’s reaction was prompted by the publication of two articles in El Zondino in March which said that the mayor, local councilmen and other municipal officials had granted themselves irregular salary increases.
At 8:30 a.m., Porra entered Da Silva’s home, insulted him, and grabbed him by the arm. The mayor threatened to kill Da Silva if his name was mentioned once more in El Zondino, the journalist told CPJ.
Minutes later, Porra pulled Da Silva outside the house where a newspaper employee prevented him from punching the journalist in the face. Da Silva said that he reported the threats to the state prosecutor’s office.