The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today welcomed police action which has seen
the arrest of a suspect in the investigation into the killing of Venezuelan journalist Orel Sambrano, who was
killed on 16 January 2009 after been shot at close range in the central
city of Valencia.
The arrest came
after a huge police operation against drug traffickers in the city of Morón, in central Venezuela
on Sunday.
"This is a
sign that the authorities are moving to confront impunity in the killing of
journalists," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "It is
long overdue but we welcome this as a positive step to bring justice to
those in journalism who are the victims of violence."
The IFJ says that
the assassination of Sambrano, Director of weekly magazine ABC
and an influential person working on other media, including Radio
America, followed his action in exposing Walid Makle, businessman and
publisher of the newspaper El Periódico, who is currently behind bars.
It is reported widely that Makle may have ordered the killing from his prison
cell. The man who is accused of the murder is David Antonio Yáñez
Inciarte, aged 37.
"Many
journalists pay with their lives for exposing the evils of drug
trafficking," said Gregorio Salazar, Director of IFJ office in Caracas. "Journalists and their
unions will continue to demand an end to impunity and for safe and secure
conditions in which to do their work."
In
another case concerning Venezuelan
journalist Mauro Marcano, who was also killed by a gang of drug
traffickers, a man arrested for his murder was set free in circumstances
that many observers say reflected the connections between the drugs cartel
and high ranking military leaders.
Despite
this, the IFJ regional office in Caracas
says the detention of a suspect in the Sambrano case is a positive
step to challenge impunity of those who are involved in the killings
of journalists in Latin America.
"What
is important now is for the due process of law to take its course," said
White. "Journalists demand justice, nothing more and certainly no
less."
For more
information, please call the IFJ in Caracas
+58 212 793 19
96
The
IFJ represents more than 600.000 journalists in 125 countries