Brazilian radio station antenna destroyed in arson attack

[Judi Lynn]

Brazilian radio station antenna destroyed in arson attack
December 12, 2019 2:45 PM ET

Rio de Janeiro, December 12, 2019 -- Brazilian authorities must thoroughly investigate the arson attack against broadcaster radio Aliança FM and hold the perpetrators to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

In the early hours of December 3, unidentified assailants burned down the broadcast antenna of Brazilian community radio station Aliança FM in the city of Choró, in Ceará state, according to local news reports. No one was harmed in the attack, which destroyed the antenna, according to those reports.

“The arson attack on community radio station Aliança FM is deeply disturbing. The police in Ceará should thoroughly investigate the attack, bring those responsible to justice, and take all necessary measures to ensure that radio journalists can report safely,” said Natalie Southwick, CPJ’s Central and South America program coordinator, in New York. “The harassment and intimidation of community radio journalists directly affects people’s access to information, especially in remote areas.”

. . .

Borges added that he has been in a long-running dispute with Otacio Dantas Filho, a former mayor of Choró, who was unhappy with the station’s coverage of local politics and had threatened to “end” radio Aliança FM.

More:
https://cpj.org/2019/12/brazilian-radio-station-antenna-destroyed-in-arson.php



Former fiery Mayor Otácio Dantas and
handsome son Bomfim.