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February 17, 2026 – Bolivia –
A journalist in El Alto, Bolivia’s second-largest city, suffered a violent attack on February 15, 2026, after reporting on regional electoral campaigning, prompting national outcry and government condemnation. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from press organisations and highlighted ongoing dangers faced by media workers in the country’s contested political environment.
According to official statements, the reporter was returning home from covering a campaign event in a neighbourhood of El Alto when he was seized by unidentified individuals. His attackers reportedly assaulted him physically, threatening his life, and inflicting severe injuries, including cutting his tongue with a sharp weapon — a measure press groups said appeared designed to intimidate and silence him. Witnesses and affiliated journalist unions characterised the violent encounter as premeditated rather than a random act of criminality.
The journalist received medical treatment following the assault and formally filed a complaint with local police authorities. The National Association of Journalists of Bolivia and the Confederation Sindical de Trabajadores de la Prensa de Bolivia have urged an immediate, thorough, and independent investigation to identify both the perpetrators and those who may have orchestrated the attack. They warned that such acts cannot be dismissed as ordinary street crime, noting the targeted nature of the violence and the theft of the journalist’s work tools as part of a broader pattern of intimidation.
The national government, through the Ministry of Government (Interior), strongly condemned the assault, describing it as a serious threat against press freedom and democratic expression. In a public communiqué, the ministry pledged that the case would not go unpunished and reiterated its commitment to ensuring safe conditions for journalistic activity. Interior Minister Marco Antonio Oviedo expressed concern over the severity of the attack and conveyed solidarity with the victim, his family, and the wider press community.
The episode has reignited broader debates about journalist safety in Bolivia, where reporters have faced escalating risks covering political events, protests, and contentious issues. Media freedom advocates say violence against the press, especially amid election cycles, underscores systemic threats to independent reporting and calls for stronger protections and accountability for attacks on news professionals.
Reference –
Bolivian journalist violently attacked after covering election campaign event
