Reporters say they were assaulted by former mayor´s bodyguard

The reporters Paula Litaiff and Arlesson Sicsú, from the newspaper Diário do Amazonas, would have been assaulted while covering the political convention “Together for Coari” last August 23rd in the city of Coari, Amazonas state. A man, who identified himself as bodyguard of a former Coari mayor, would has threatened the reporters and pushed them out of the place.

Paula and Arlisson were at the Ginásio Municipal Geraldo Granjeiro, a public area, covering  the speech of Vicente Lira, who is running for mayor. According to Paula, a man, who identified himself as a bodyguard of the impeached ex-mayor Rodrigo Alves, came to her saying they couldn´t stay there. “I said -off course I can, this is a public place, whatever person can stay here. He answered -but you can´t stay here, because your newspaper is a newspaper that doesn´t support us”, says Paula.

The “bodyguard”, with the help of other people, would have pushed Paula and threatened to punch the journalists and break their equipments, if they didn´t leave, according to Paula. The reporters would have heard hostile declarations from the aggressors such as “they are against Rodrigo [former mayor] and must be hit” and “if you guys stay one more minute here, everyone is going to hit you”.

The chief of Coari´s Civil House, Daniel Maciel, that was at the stage, denies that aggressions have happened. “I saw a small animosity, but I haven´t seen neither aggressions nor her being kicked out”, he says.

Paula Litaiff says she went to the 10ª Regional Police Office of Coari on the same day, August 23rd, in order to register the case, but there were no scrivener. “I went back there on Monday. This time there were no paper to print. I turned back in the afternoon, when I was told that the police chief was needed, but he was traveling”, tells Paula, that gave up to register the case.

Paula Lataiff and Arlesson Sicsú, that work in Manaus, were in Coari for some days, in order to make a report about the city´paradoxes: “Coari is the North Brazilian city that most receives royalties from Petrobrás (Brazilian petrol company). How can 15 thousand children be out of the school there?”, questions Paula.

Coari will have elections next September 22nd, since its last mayor, Rodrigo Alves, has suffered impeachment under charges of buying votes. He and the also former mayor Adail Pinheiro have been on trial because of pedophile crimes.