Digital Page Seven
The Government assured this Friday that it will bring to justice the bullies who took journalists hostage in Guarayos, while journalists from Santa Cruz called a sit-in this morning to demonstrate against the attacks.
“As the Ministry of Government we inform that we are going to take all the corresponding actions to arrive at the material truth of what happened in these events, and the responsible persons will be brought before the Bolivian justice to render a report of this regrettable act that they have had yesterday, “said Minister Eduardo del Castillo.
Journalists from five media outlets in Santa Cruz were taken hostage yesterday and beaten for seven hours by assailants and hooded armed men at the Las Londras ranch in Guarayos.
Communicators went to the scene to verify complaints of assaults. At the end of the afternoon they were released, after suffering a series of attacks.
The Association of Journalists of Santa Cruz expressed this Friday its rejection of the ambush and kidnapping of the group of journalists. Through a statement they announced the beginning of protest measures to condemn this action and called for a sit-in.
You can also read: Hooded bullies take hostages in Guarayos
“We summon the media and especially colleagues deprived of liberty and harassed, to a sit-in to be held this October 29, at the gates of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santa Cruz at 10:00, to condemn these events and announce a fierce mobilization in defense of our Printing Law, freedom of expression, respect for private property, the State of Rights and democracy ”, says the union’s note.
In the same way, they denounce before the international community that the Pact of Unity, related to the MAS, promotes a new Communication Law, replacing the Printing Law. According to the representatives of the press, this intention “blurs” the essence of journalism and freedom of expression.
“We denounce before the international community, the intention of the Pact of Unity, related to the government of Luis Arce, to promote a Communication Law that blurs the essence of journalism of service to society, freedom of expression, opinion and of the press, for a norm that muzzles journalists and tries to turn them into servile instruments in the configuration of a police state in which fundamental rights are not respected ”, he adds.
