At least five journalists from Ecuadorian audiovisual channels received letters containing IEDs, one of which exploded on Monday, slightly injuring its recipient, according to the authorities and the media concerned.
Interior Minister Juan Zapata said three envelopes had been sent to Guayaquil (southwest) and two to Quito, from the locality of Quimsaloma, in the coastal province of Los Rios.
The alert was triggered when the private regional television channel TV Ecuavisa reported that one of its journalists had received an envelope containing a USB key which exploded after being inserted into a computer.
The Guayaquil-based journalist was superficially injured in one hand and in the face, criminal police chief Xavier Chango said.
The explosion, which occurred in the newsroom, caused no other injuries or material damage. According to him, the explosive used could be “RDX”, “a military type explosive”.
Other envelopes containing explosives were sent to journalists from TC Televisión, Teleamazonas, EXA radio and a journalist who presents programs on several local media.
The envelope addressed to the latter was intercepted by the police before arriving at its destination, indicated Mr. Zapata, who specified that “the detonating capsule is indeed the same in the five places”.
It is an “absolutely clear message aimed at silencing journalists”, the minister further declared.
The prosecution has opened an investigation for terrorism, a crime punishable by up to 13 years in prison.
Press freedom organization Fundamedios sees the attacks as “a further escalation of violence against the press: disturbing, unacceptable, violating freedom of expression and requiring immediate state intervention.”
In a statement, the government, through its Communication Secretariat (Segcom), expressed its solidarity, rejecting “categorically any type of violent acts” and “attempts to intimidate journalists and the media”.
Last year in Ecuador, the national channel RTS was the target of fire, and in 2020 an explosive device targeted the premises of the television channel Teleamazonas.
Plagued by drug trafficking, the port of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s second city, is now one of the most violent areas in the country. Gangs and criminal groups, some of which are linked to Mexican cartels, are vying for control of the drug trafficking routes.
Located between Colombia and Peru, the world’s largest producers of cocaine, Ecuador has gone from being a mere transit country to that of an important distribution center to Europe and the United States.
Drug seizures continue to rise, and the rate of violent deaths has fallen from 14 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2021 to 25 in 2022.
03/21/2023 02:54:37 –         Quito (AFP) –         © 2023 AFP
