{"id":1337,"date":"2012-10-31T07:35:48","date_gmt":"2012-10-31T07:35:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/freedimensional.org\/?p=1337"},"modified":"2012-10-31T07:35:48","modified_gmt":"2012-10-31T07:35:48","slug":"bolivian-journalist-fernando-vidal-set-alight-on-air","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fd.artistsafety.net\/2012\/10\/bolivian-journalist-fernando-vidal-set-alight-on-air\/","title":{"rendered":"Bolivian journalist Fernando Vidal set alight on air"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>A Bolivian radio journalist has been attacked while he was conducting a radio show in the southern city of Yacuiba.<\/p>\n

Staff at Radio Popular said four masked men broke into the studio, poured petrol over presenter Fernando Vidal and set him alight.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Mr Vidal, 78, and another staff member are being treated for burns.<\/p>\n

Relatives said Mr Vidal had been reporting on smuggling in the border area when the attack happened.<\/p>\n

Mr Vidal suffered burns on his face, arms and chest, according to his son-in-law, Esteban Farfan.<\/p>\n

A studio technician, Karen Anza, was also injured in the attack.<\/p>\n

Some eyewitnesses said the attackers had also thrown Molotov cocktails.<\/p>\n

Mr Farfan said his father-in-law had been a harsh critic of the provincial government and had voiced his criticism on air.<\/p>\n

He said he believed there were political reasons for the attack, but police have not yet commented on possible motives.<\/p>\n

Three people have been arrested on suspicion of taking part in the attack.<\/p>\n

Yacuiba is only three kilometres (less than two miles) from the Argentine border.<\/p>\n

And while there is a high-volume of cross-border commerce, journalists such as Mr Vidal had been denouncing a rise in smuggling, particularly of liquid petroleum gas.<\/p>\n

Text and photo reposted from Bbc.co.uk. <\/em><\/p>\n