Popular Honduran TV journalist kidnapped

[Judi Lynn]

Last edited Wed Jun 26, 2013, 01:58 AM - Edit history (1)

Popular Honduran TV journalist kidnapped
Associated Press
Posted on June 25, 2013 at 7:02 PM
Updated today at 10:30 PM

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Police investigators say they're searching for a popular television journalist in the northern Honduran city of San Pedro Sula who was taken by heavily armed men while driving in his truck.

Investigators spokesman Elvis Guzman says Anibal Barrow was taken late Monday night along with three family members, who were later released unharmed. Guzman said Tuesday that his truck was found abandoned with a bullet hole and traces of blood.

The 62-year-old journalist has a daily morning news show called "Anibal and Nothing More" on Globo television in San Pedro Sula. His son, also named Anibal, is running for congress in November with the opposition Liberal Party.

Military chief Rene Ponce said no request for ransom has been received. U.N. data show Honduras suffers some of the highest crime rates in the world, including for journalists.

http://www.whas11.com/news/world/213039211.html

(Short article. No more at link.)

[center]

[/center]

[Judi Lynn]

1. Where is Honduran Journalist Anibal Barrow?

Where is Honduran Journalist Anibal Barrow?
By Larry Ladutke
June 27, 2013 at 12:10 PM

Anibal Barrow, a Honduran journalist for TV Globo, was last seen on Monday, June 24, when three armed men stopped the vehicle he was riding in with family members. The assailants released his relatives, but commandeered the car and took Barrow with them.

That was the last that Barrow’s family saw of him. They reported the abduction to the authorities, but have not received any ransom demands. All they have heard is that the car was later found with bullet holes and traces of blood. There was no sign of Anibal Barrow, however.

The lack of ransom demands, as well the gunmen’s lack of interested in the other passengers, adds to fears that Barrow was attacked because of his journalistic activities. Amnesty International reports that Barrow had recently interviewed three candidates in the nation’s upcoming elections, including a union leader, about the 4th anniversary of the 2009 coup. CNBC has reported that Anibal Barrow’s son is also running in the elections.

Unfortunately, attacks on journalists are not unusual in Honduras. Since January 2010, approximately 28 journalists have been killed in the country.

More:
http://blog.amnestyusa.org/americas/where-is-honduran-journalist-anibal-barrow/

[Judi Lynn]

2. Unidentified gunmen kidnap Honduran TV journalist

Unidentified gunmen kidnap Honduran TV journalist

New York, June 25, 2013--Authorities must do everything in their power to ensure the safe release of Honduran television journalist Aníbal Barrow, who was abducted on Monday, and to bring the kidnappers to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

"An unrelenting cycle of anti-press violence and intimidation is crippling journalists' ability to do their job and, as a result, leaves the country uninformed about issues of public interest," said Carlos Lauría, CPJ's senior Americas program coordinator.

Unidentified gunmen intercepted Barrow's car in the city of San Pedro Sula on Monday, according to news reports. Barrow, the prominent host of a morning talk show on Globo TV, was traveling with his daughter-in-law, grandson, and driver. The gunmen took control of the car and subsequently freed all of the passengers except Barrow, the reports said.

Several hours later, police found the vehicle abandoned in another part of town, with a bullet hole in one door and blood inside, a Globo representative told CPJ. Police did not say to whom the blood belonged, the representative said. The family has not received any calls seeking a ransom, according to news reports.

More:
http://www.cpj.org/2013/06/unidentified-gunmen-kidnap-honduran-tv-journalist.php

[Judi Lynn]

3. Journalist abducted just days ahead of military coup anniversary

Journalist abducted just days ahead of military coup anniversary
Published on Thursday 27 June 2013. Updated on Friday 28 June 2013

Reporters Without Borders is extremely concerned about the fate of Aníbal Barrow (picture), a journalist who was kidnapped in the northern city of San Pedro Sula on 24 June, four days ahead of the anniversary tomorrow of the coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya in 2009.

Barrow, 58, was travelling in a pickup with members of his family on the afternoon of 24 June when they were stopped by several unidentified individuals, who made Barrow’s relatives get out and then drove off in the pickup with Barrow inside.

The vehicle was founded later that evening in the city’s Villanueva district with traces of blood inside the cabin, a bullet hole in the passenger side window, but no sign of Barrow, who has been the subject of a police search for the past three days.

Barrow, who is also an economics professor at the National Autonomous University of Honduras at Valle de Sula, hosts a news programme called “Aníbal Barrow and nothing else” that is broadcast every morning from Monday to Friday on Globo TV.

More:
http://en.rsf.org/honduras-journalist-abducted-just-days-27-06-2013,44865.html

[center]~ ~ ~[/center]
LA forum DU'ers may recall the link to this tv station was shared here by our amazing friend who has been away for awhile, rabs, a scholar, and an amazing gentleman, and true LatAm citizen, whom some of us knew as far back as 2000, at the CNN Cuba-US relations website, which was enlightening, to say the least.

This TV journalist, Anibal Bararow, held down the fort at Globo through horrendous, turbulent times during the hideous coup, and the coup government sent troops in who destroyed their equipment, trashed the place once, and on another time the studio had new stuff, and video'd the troops as they came in and carried out all the consoles and computers, etc., etc., etc. Truly courageous.

[center]~ ~ ~[/center]
Uncertainty about the life of journalist Anibal Barrow


Miércoles 26 de Junio de 2013 23:25 Nota de Prensa OPLN
Correo electrónico Imprimir PDF

Hours of uncertainty go by over the unknown whereabouts of journalist Anibal Barrow.

Tegucigalpa, June 25. Yesterday's afternoon the news of the kidnapping of journalist Anibal Barrow, who holds a morning television program on the popular TV Globo broadcaster, were heard.

After the kidnapping, and within hours at night, police found his car with a bullet hole and blood on the inside, which meant he can be hurt. The search of the journalist was suspended last night due to the lack of tracks and evidence, as reported by the police. The search continues today without news at this time of the morning.

Anibal Barrow reportedly stated yesterday his intention to vote for Xiomara Castro de Zelaya, also on his tv program recognized leaders of the LIBRE Party, as Enrique Flores Lanza, Juan Barahona and Jari Dixon have been guests. The day after the kidnapping, on Tuesday, the General Secretary of the Political Organization Los Necios, Gilberto Rios, was expected to deliver a presentation on Democratic Socialism.

A day before the Ordinary Assembly "Xiomara Castro de Zelaya" on Sunday June 16, assembly in wich she was proclaimed the LIBRE Party Candidate, a young activist and member of the National Front of Popular Resistance was murdered and today a notorious journalist is abducted four days before commemorating the military Coup of June 28, which overthrew the legitimate government of Manuel Zelaya Rosales.

"This could be part of a campaign of terror by the Coup perpetrators", said yesterday different members of the LIBRE Party leadership, while they expect the journalist to appear alive.

http://www.resistenciahonduras.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5656:uncertainty-about-the-life-of-journalist-anibal-barrow&catid=103:human-rights&Itemid=352