Legal consequences demanded following assault on press team during coverage on Kennedy Avenue
Road violence and attacks against communication workers have raised alarms following a recent incident in Santo Domingo. Communicator Hansel García, during his segment on the radio show Politikal, raised his voice to demand immediate justice regarding the physical and verbal assault suffered by a press team while covering a traffic accident on John F. Kennedy Avenue.
The affected team, belonging to a local media outlet, was carrying out their reporting duties following the crash of a route 11 bus from La Isabelita, which lost control and collided with a service station near Los Jardines del Norte. Reporter Ana Laura López, who was leading the coverage, recounted how the atmosphere quickly shifted from tension to open hostility.
An environment of hostility and censorship
According to López’s testimony, upon his arrival at the scene, the driver of the crashed vehicle and his companions adopted a threatening attitude. A mob of motorcyclists joined this group and attempted to hinder the journalistic work through intimidation and the use of unfounded arguments regarding the legality of recording in public spaces.
When we, the press, arrived, they started threatening us, telling us not to record, under the excuse of an alleged legal prohibition. Furthermore, they resorted to mockery and direct threats against our technical team, going as far as attempting to intimidate us by threatening to steal our equipment.
Ana Laura López, reporterPhysical assault against cameraman Joel de la Cruz
The situation reached its most critical point when the bus driver physically attacked cameraman Joel de la Cruz. The aggressor struck the technician several times on the head, causing an open wound on his forehead that required emergency medical attention at the Doctor Félix María Goico hospital. The journalist emphasized that the violence was not selective, but rather that all the communicators present were targets of intimidation and aggression.
Call to regulate public transport
Given this scenario, Hansel García harshly criticized the lack of controls in the transport sector. The communicator pointed out that the absence of screening in the recruitment of drivers allows people without the mental health or proper preparation to operate public transport units, putting both passengers and the general public at risk.
- Demand for a thorough investigation and criminal prosecution of those responsible.
- Call for stricter controls in the selection of public transport drivers.
- Union solidarity with the press team assaulted while performing their duties.
- Unrestricted defense of freedom of the press and the right to report in public spaces.
The members of the Politikal panel urged the authorities to take decisive measures, including the full identification of the bus and the filing of civil and criminal lawsuits, describing the attack as a serious assault on the right to information.
