At least 5 journalists from Ecuador receive messages with explosive devices

( Spanish) –– At least five Ecuadorian journalists received envelopes with explosive devices, Interior Minister Juan Zapata confirmed. Three of them reached the newsrooms of the television channels Ecuavisa, Teleamazonas and TC Televisión, while the other two envelopes addressed to the EXA FM radio station and the journalist Carlos Vera were intercepted in progress.

“Here comes an absolutely clear message to silence journalists who have been strong in their way of being or to silence the media,” explained Zapata, who condemned the events and confirmed that they are investigating the issue in depth.

The Ecuadorian Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation for the crime of terrorism after the different attacks, the institution confirmed through its official Twitter account. The statement details that the different evidence has already been raised in the media to which the envelopes containing portable memories arrived, and that they will all form part of a single investigation folder because they present the same execution methods.

Ecuadorian journalist Lenin Artieda suffered an explosive attack on Monday after receiving an envelope with a portable memory that he had inserted into his computer moments before, the Ecuavisa TV channel reported in a note published on its website.

The explosion did not leave other people injured and property damage in the newsroom of the plant, located in Guayaquil.

The Ecuadorian Prosecutor’s Office appeared at the scene and opened an investigation into the attack against Artieda. He also assured that the communicator was slightly injured. The country’s police confirmed that the journalist is in good health.

This Monday it was also learned that the TC Televisión plant had also received an envelope with an explosive on Friday, addressed to the journalist Mauricio Ayora. The station clarified that they had not opened it.

A third envelope with explosives arrived at the newsroom of the Teleamazonas channel, in Quito, on Thursday of the previous week, but it was not delivered until Monday.

Milton Pérez, executive producer and presenter of Teleamazonas, confirmed what happened and shared with a photo of the note and the flash drive. The message says: “This information will unmask correísmo. If you think it’s useful, we can come to an agreement and send you the second part. I communicate with you”.

In the case of the EXA FM radio station, an envelope addressed to the name of the journalist Miguel Rivadeneira did not reach its destination, since it was intercepted in the package delivery service in the city of Quito. Álvaro Rosero, director of said outlet, confirmed through his official Twitter account that the envelope had originally been sent last Wednesday.

Similarly, the envelope addressed to the communicator Carlos Vera was intercepted at the same parcel company, but in the city of Guayaquil.

After learning about the attack in Ecuavisa, the Government of Ecuador indicated in a statement that it “categorically rejects all kinds of violent acts perpetrated against journalists or the media.”

The Minister of Government, Henry Cucalón, condemned this attack on Twitter.

Hours later, when what happened was broadcast on TC Televisión, the Ecuadorian government shared the tweet of the Vice Minister of Governance, Mario Cuvi, who expressed solidarity with both journalists.

Cuvi expressed: “All our support to the media in the face of these intimidation against freedom of expression.”

Likewise, the group of communicators Fundamedios has joined the repudiation after the attacks.