Venezuela
Police in Ospino shot at three Venezuelan journaliPosted Apr 2 2008
Police in Ospino shot at three Venezuelan journalists during a demonstration by businessmen Feb. 19. The police used violence to break up the demonstration wounding over 40 people including the mayor of Ospino, according to International Freedom of Expression eXchange. The journalists who came to interview the wounded people were then shot at by the orders of an unidentified police major.
Journalist Iliana Arias of the newspaper Diario Cantaclaro was not hurt but Carlos Quintero and Neiber Guillen from Portuguesa Televisión were beaten by police. Arias tried to flee the scene after hearing the police order to shoot. Police chased her and shot at her car. She then ran into a house to hide where the police could not find her.
Quientero was thrown to the ground and beaten and the police officer also pointed a gun at his face. Guillen’s camera was taken away but he could later recover it from the police station.