Ecuadorian journalist Lenin Artieda experienced a moment of horror this Monday (20) when was attacked by flash drive explosive being inside the channel Equavis TV. According to local police, the device contained a live explosive known as “RDX“.

Fortunately, the journalist was not injured in the incident. The flash drive was to be sent to him in an envelope, and a second similar device was found at another station in the country. Police are investigating two other places in Quito that also allegedly received similar envelopes.

The General Secretariat for Communications (Segcom) expressed solidarity with Ecuavisa and Artieda from the very beginning, and the national government categorically rejected all kinds of violent acts committed against journalists and the media.

This incident is yet another example of the danger that journalists face in many countries, including in Ecuador, where press freedom is threatened by multiple factors. It is imperative that governments take steps to protect the safety of journalists and ensure freedom of expression and freedom of the press.

Other media received similar flash drives.

Other media also received packages similar to those delivered to Ecuadorian journalist Lenin Artieda. According to TC Television manager Rafael Cuesta, the station received a device similar to the one that exploded in Equavis and was intended for journalist Mauricio Ayor. The package also included a USB stick.

Interestingly, Cuesta was the victim of a terrorist attack 23 years ago, when he was vice president of the TV channel’s news department. In addition, the Teleamazonas channel also announced the arrival of an envelope addressed to journalist Milton Perez. However, the envelope was never connected to the computer, despite the fact that it contained an electronic storage device.

These incidents are not the first to affect the media in Ecuador. Last year, the RTS TV channel was shelled, and in 2020, an explosive device went off at Teleamazonas facilities. The Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights of Guayaquil (CDH) expressed concern about “attacks against journalists in the context of increasing instability in Ecuador”.

Freedom of the press and the safety of journalists are fundamental to democracy and access to information in any country. The Ecuadorian authorities are expected to seriously investigate these attacks and take steps to ensure the safety of media workers throughout the country.

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Source: Equavisa

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