Journalist’s murder in the Dominican Republic draws criticisms regarding lack of protections

By Brianne Yantz
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – Earlier this week, Jose Agustin Silvestre, a Dominican TV reporter, was kidnapped from his home in La Romana and found murdered a few hours later.

Slain journalist Jose Silvestre. (Photo Courtesy of Dominican Today)
Slain journalist Jose Silvestre. (Photo Courtesy of Dominican Today)

Several news reports indicate that four men grabbed Silvestre, beat him, and drove away with him in an SUV on Tuesday morning. He was discovered with several gun shot wounds to the head and abdomen.

Silvestre was the twentieth journalist killed in Latin America this year, and in the Dominican Republic alone more than 30 journalists and press workers have been attacked since January.

Silvestre was the host of “La Voz de la Verdad,” or “The Voice of Truth,” on Cana TV and published a bi-weekly magazine of the same name. He was well known for making controversial claims regarding drug trafficking in his hometown of La Romana. He had long been the target of death threats and just last week there had been a failed attempt on his life.

According to Dominican Today, Silvestre was to appear in a San Pedro court on the day of his murder to face libel charges filed by La Romana prosecutor Jose Polanco. Silvestre had accused Polanco of favoritism and corruption, and had also compared him to an alleged drug baron.

The murder of Silvestre brings concern for journalists’ freedoms regarding speech and expression. Journalism.co.uk reported that the Inter-American Press Society had recently highlighted the weakened press freedom standards in the Dominican Republic, which has been in steady decline over the past decade.

In an interview with Journalism.co.uk, Benoit Hervieu, head of the Americas desk at Reporters Without Borders, explained that the Dominican Republic was “the hidden face of drug trafficking” in Latin America and that those journalists who reported on the nation’s rampant political corruption or widespread organized crime often received death threats.

Irina Bokova, the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, was quick to condemn the Dominican Republic for Silvestre’s killing. She also insisted “a full investigation [needed to] be carried out into [his] case for journalists to be able to continue exercising their basic human right of freedom of expression.”

Susan Lee, the Americas Director at Amnesty International, expressed similar sentiments, arguing that those responsible must be brought to justice. She further called for better protections for journalists and for full disclosure regarding Silvestre’s death. “If it emerges that his death could have been prevented through better protection, the authorities must make that information public,” Lee stated.

Lee was adamant in her demand to protect those journalists who may be at risk. She argued such protections were vital because “journalists must be able to carry out their jobs without fearing for their lives.”

For more information, please see:

UN News Centre – Murder of Dominican journalist sparks condemnation from UNESCO – August 5, 2011

Dominican Today – Slain journalist Jose Silvestre buried amid cries for justice – August 4, 2011

Amnesty International – DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: JOURNALIST’S KILLING MUST SPUR BETTER PROTECTION – August 3, 2011

Journalism.co.uk – Twentieth journalist killed in Latin America this year – August 3, 2011

Dominican Today – Gunmen kill journalist who linked Dominican Prosecutor to drugs – August 2, 2011

Author: Impunity Watch Archive