Attempted murder of Guatemalan Journalist

Journalist Vinicio Aguilar in hospital

8 September 2006

A Guatemalan radio journalist was shot in the mouth and hand in what appears to be a retalition against his work reporting corruption in big business. Vinicio Aguilar was shot and left for dead by two unknown assailants travelling on a motorbike as he was out jogging in a suburb of Guatemala City in the early morning of 23 August.

Aguilar (45), who remains in hospital in a stable condition, hosts a popular daily phone-in show on the independent “Radio 10” station. His programme regularly discusses issues like organised crime, tax evasion and corruption.

The radio station has been threatened repeatedly for reporting on a tax evasion lawsuit involving Avicola Villalobos, one of Central America's largest agricultural conglomerates.

On the 22 August, the day before the attack on Aguilar, a caller threatened the Director of the Radio Station, Oscar Rodolfo Castaneda, on air. The unidentified man said Castaneda would be murdered for speaking about tax evasion unless he left the country within eight days.

Over 100 journalists were killed or “disappeared” during Guatemala’s 36-year civil war that ended in 1996 and although the situation has improved since then, Journalists continue to be targeted when they report on issues such as crime, corruption and drug trafficking.

There have already been 14 serious threats against journalists reported to Guatemala’s human rights ombudsman this year.

Front Line has called on the Guatemalan government to immediately conduct an impartial investigation into the attempted murder of Vinicio Aguilar and the threat made against Oscar Rodolfo Castaneda and to guarantee the safety of all Guatemalan journalists.