[ad_1]
CNN
—
Ecuador’s public prosecutor has opened a terrorism investigation after at the least 5 journalists obtained envelopes containing explosive units.
Three of the envelopes reached the newsrooms of Ecuavisa, Teleamazonas and TC Televisión tv channels, whereas two additional envelopes addressed to radio station EXA FM and journalist Carlos Vera had been intercepted, the nation’s Inside Minister Juan Zapata mentioned Monday.
“That is a completely clear message of silencing journalists who’ve been robust of their manner of being or silencing the media,” mentioned Zapata, who condemned the acts and confirmed that an in depth investigation is underway.
In a press release Monday, Ecuador’s Public Prosecutor’s Workplace mentioned it had opened a terrorism investigation following the assorted assaults.
Proof has been collected from the media shops that obtained envelopes containing the units, and all the units might be included in a single investigation due to the similarities between them, it mentioned within the assertion.
On Monday, Ecuavisa TV journalist Lenin Artieda suffered minor accidents when he plugged a reminiscence stick containing an explosive machine into his laptop, the outlet reported in a notice revealed on its web site.
The explosion didn’t injure anybody else, nor did it trigger any materials injury to the newsroom, which is positioned within the metropolis of Guayaquil, southern Ecuador.
The prosecutor’s workplace has opened an investigation into the assault, and confirmed that Artieda had suffered minor accidents.
Additionally on Monday, TC Televisión obtained an envelope containing an explosive, addressed to journalist Mauricio Ayora, in response to Ecuador’s Inside Minister Zapata. The station mentioned the envelope had not been opened.
A 3rd envelope containing explosives arrived on the Teleamazonas newsroom within the capital metropolis Quito final Thursday, addressed to presenter and govt producer Milton Pérez, however it was not delivered till Monday, Pérez confirmed to CNN.
A fourth envelope, addressed to journalist Miguel Rivadeneira of radio station EXA FM, didn’t attain its vacation spot as a result of it was intercepted at a parcel supply service in Quito on Monday, in response to EXA FM.
Álvaro Rosero, director of the media outlet, tweeted that the envelope had initially been despatched final Wednesday.
And eventually, the envelope addressed to Carlos Vera was intercepted by the identical parcel supply firm in Guayaquil, in response to minister Zapata.
After studying of the assault on Ecuavisa, the Ecuadorian authorities mentioned in a press release that it “categorically rejects all sorts of violent acts perpetrated towards journalists or the media.”
Mario Cuvi, deputy minister of governance, expressed solidarity with the journalists.
“All our help for the media within the face of those threats towards freedom of expression,” he tweeted.
[ad_2]
