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life and physical integrity, in accordance with Articles 4 and 5 of the American
Convention.
2)
To conduct a thorough investigation into the events that occurred on
January 31, 2002, at the offices of the newspaper “Así es la Noticia” and into
the threats received by the journalists, Ibéyise Pacheco, Patricia Poleo, Marta
Colomina and Marianela Salazar.
3)
To adopt the necessary measures to protect the full exercise of the
freedom of expression of the media employees, in accordance with Article 13 of
the Convention.
4)
To abstain from carrying out any action that might have an
intimidating effect on the journalists, Ibéyise Pacheco, Patricia Poleo, Marta
Colomina and Marianela Salazar.
c.
The precautionary measures adopted by the Commission to protect
the life and physical integrity of Marta Colomina were not effective; the
harassment against her has not ceased and the investigations have not
produced any results;
d.
In the early morning of Friday, June 27, 2003, Marta Colomina was
traveling in her car, driven by Héctor José Herrera, her “chauffeur-escort”, to
the TELEVEN television channel (hereinafter “TELEVEN”), in order to present
her daily program “La Entrevista”, which begins at 5.55 a.m.
Liliana
Velásquez, the producer of the program, was driving in her vehicle behind
Marta Colomina. Shortly before they reached their destination, the vehicles
were intercepted and blocked in a synchronized manner by two cars
containing eight individuals. Then, four men, three of whom had their faces
covered with balaclava helmets, walked towards Marta Colomina’s car
pointing their weapons at both the chauffeur and the journalist. The man
whose face was uncovered went to the back of his car and took out a sort of
“gigantic Molotov” cocktail. The other four men, who also wore balaclava
helmets, got out of their car and pointed their weapons in all directions. The
Molotov cocktail, made with a large 19-liter bottle made of thick glass, of the
type generally used to sell water, struck the windscreen of the journalist’s
car, which was protected by a special anti-riot safety coating, so that it
resisted the impact, caving in and splintering, but preventing the bomb from
entering the car, and merely spilling the gasoline that it contained. However,
the man who had tried to detonate the bomb “disconcerted by the
unexpected reaction of the journalist, Liliana Velásquez, who was sounding
the horn of her car insistently and without stopping, making a great deal of
noise for that time of the morning, was unable to detonate it.” Finally, the
individuals desisted from their action and fled.
e.
Twenty days after the attack against Marta Colomina, the Office of the
Public Prosecutor has not opened an investigation, as provided for in the
Basic Code of Criminal Procedure. Neither the journalists, Colomina and
Velásquez, nor the TELEVEN security agents, who arrived on the site, have
been called to make a statement before the Office of the Public Prosecutor.
Only the chauffeur-escort, Héctor José Herrera, has been called by a
Prosecutor of the Office of the Public Prosecutor “to talk”. Moreover, there is
no information that would suggest that an investigation is underway or that
any kind of information or evidence has been requested;
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