64
*
*
*
220. The Commission alleged that on December 10, 2002 several groups of people
organized protests at the entrance of some media, including the central building of the
television station Globovisión in Caracas; on such occasion, there were people shouting
insults against the television station and its employees for hours. The representatives
mentioned that the demonstrators hit and scratched the walls and doors of the television
station, preventing the employees from going in and out of the building until the early
morning; on such incident, there were supporters of the government and public servants.
221. The Court notes that in the video furnished by the Commission, which contains
scenes of the facts, it is possible to observe an unidentified group of people gathered
together, many of them are shouting and carrying objects that made noise. The video does
not show any physical attack commited against employees of Globovisión or any act
damaging its premises.198 These facts were reported before the Venezuelan authorities
three months after they occurred199; nevertheless, there is no evidence suggesting that an
investigation has been conducted (infra para. 302 and 318).
222. The Court deems it is not possible to conclude that said protest has been violent,
under the terms expressed by the representatives and that, even though some of the
expressions used may be interpreted as verbal insults, it has not been proven that the
protests were aimed at damaging the physical integrity or property of the employees. It
does not spring from the existing evidence that State authorities had participated in those
incidents.
*
*
*
223. The Commission argued that on January 3, 2003 reporter Carla María Angola and her
news team were insulted by individuals and that some kind of liquid, identified by Mrs.
Angola as urine, was thrown at her200. The State mentioned that the complaint for verbal
attacks committed against Carla María Angola Rodríguez was lodged three months alter the
incident.
224. The Court notes that from the video furnished by the Commission, it is possible to
see a group of individuals organizing a protest, shouting with flags and making obscene
gestures at the camera of Globovisión, while the reporter was interviewing several people.
Some of the people were shouting “go away” and "liars", "golpistas", "unhappy", among
others, at the microphone. The reporter emphasized the presence of the Metropolitan police
at an approximate distance of 25 meters from the place where the demonstration was being
198
Cf. video (appendix 3 to the application)
199
Cf. complaint lodge with the 2º Public Prosecutor Office of the Attorney General’s Office of the Judicial
District of Caracas Metropolitan Area on March 10, 2003 (records of evidence, volume IV, appendix 8 to the
application, pages 965 - 975) and brief of October 26, 2004 presented to the 68º Public Prosecutor Office of
Caracas Metropolitan Area (records of evidence, volume V, pages 1671-1749).
200
The Commission alleged in the application that “On January 3, 2003, while reporter Carla María Angola
was covering a march, a group of individuals began to shout insults at the news team – “coup plotters,” “liars” –
and made obscene gestures at the camera. A container of liquid, which she identified as urine, was thrown at the
journalist”.
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