Reporter jailed in Cuba after covering government evictions
New York, May 30, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the detention of independent Cuban journalist Armando Betancourt who was arrested a week ago while covering the evictions of dozens of families from their homes in the central city of Camagüey, sources told CPJ. On May 23, authorities forcefully evicted families allegedly occupying homes illegally,…
State legislature calls for eviction of critical newspaper
New York, May 25, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned that a request by a Venezuelan state assembly to evict the daily Correo del Caroní from its premises in a zoning dispute is an attempt to silence the newspaper’s critical reporting on local government corruption. The Bolívar state legislature said in a May 19…
Hackers obtain journalists’ e-mail exchanges with sources
New York, May 23, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by reports that unidentified hackers have broken into the e-mail accounts of several prominent journalists and distributed their private conversations with sources, including public officials, to the reporters’ contacts. On May 11, Daniel Santoro, a senior investigative reporter with Argentina’s largest daily Clarín, reported…
Four journalists held during indigenous protest released
New York, May 22, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of four Colombian journalists who were detained on May 17 while covering indigenous protests against a free trade pact with the United States in Cauca province. Two days after the arrest, police released Richard Calpa, director of the radio station La Libertad in…
Newspaper attacked in the wake of crime wave
New York, May 19, 2006 The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns an arson attack on the Brazilian newspaper Imprensa Livre in São Sebastião, which had covered nearly a week of fighting between criminal gangs and police in the nearby city of São Paulo, according to national and international press reports.
Four journalists arrested while covering protests
New York, May 18, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists called on authorities today to release four journalists who were arrested yesterday in the southwestern province of Cauca while covering protests by indigenous Colombians against a free trade pact with the United States. Farmers and indigenous organizations have been demonstrating since Tuesday in the town of…
Colombian journalist flees home after threats
New York, May 17, 2006—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed that Colombian journalist Pedro Antonio Cárdenas Cáceres was forced to flee his hometown after getting death threats in the wake of his reports on government corruption in central Tolima province. Cárdenas, director of the biweekly La Verdad in the city of Honda, left for…
Journalist detained while covering meeting of chamber of commerce
MAY 13, 2006 Posted: June 1, 2006 Víctor Lara Martínez, ¡Por Esto! HARASSED Lara, a reporter for the Mérida-based daily Por Esto!, was detained at 6 p.m. on May 13 while covering a meeting at the local chamber of commerce. He was held for 17 hours at a local police station after being accused of…
Journalist attacked and threatened by local official
MAY 8, 2006 Posted: May 12, 2006 Hugo Basso, La Tribuna ATTACKED Basso, director of the Rufino-based weekly La Tribuna, was attacked by a local official after taking his photograph at a municipal meeting in the central province of Santa Fé, according to news reports and an interview with the journalist.
Two journalists threatened with death
MAY 10, 2006 Posted: May 12, 2006 Luís Bahamonde, Correo Eliana Villavicencio, Correo THREATENED Bahamonde and Villavicencio, editor and reporter respectively for the Lima-based daily Correo in the northwestern city of Trujillo, were threatened with death by an anonymous caller after reporting on the arrest of members of a local drug cartel.