26 May 2022 | CPJ
Camera operator and TV host Ricardo Ávila shot, killed in southwest Honduras
Shooting
At around 5 a.m. on May 26, an unidentified person shot Ricardo Ávila in the head while the journalist rode his motorcycle in Santa Cruz village near Choluteca, according to a report by C-Libre, a Honduran freedom of expression group. Ávila was taken to a hospital in the capital city Tegucigalpa where he died on May 29.
C-Libre director Amada Ordoñez disputed the Honduran police comment that Ávila had been the victim of a robbery, telling CPJ by phone that the journalist’s belongings, including his money, cellphone, and motorcycle, were found with him, and adding that “C-Libre has confirmed that it was not a common robbery.”
Ávila, 25, worked as a camera operator and hosted a weekend news show for local independent station Metro TV. He covered social movements in Choluteca and protests against controversial economic development zones, known as ZEDEs, Ordoñez told CPJ. Metro TV is the only local outlet to cover these protests, Ordoñez said, adding that C-Libre believes the attack was in retaliation for Ávila’s reporting on these topics.
Read the original article here: https://cpj.org/2022/06/camera-operator-and-tv-host-ricardo-avila-shot-killed-in-southwest-honduras/
