Bolivia: Radio Cepra’s Daniela Valdez Beaten, Strangled and Robbed by Violent Mob While Covering Protest

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is shocked by this brutal assault and urges authorities to prosecute those responsible immediately.

Location: Bolivia, Sucre
Date: July 24, 2023

Violent mob viciously attacked journalist Daniela Valdez of Radio Cepra as she reported a protest at a municipal office in Sucre. The journalist was beaten, robbed, and strangled while trying to escape crowds. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is deeply concerned for her well-being and demands the perpetrators be punished for this heinous assault.

“People came and hit me in the face, injured my nose, grabbed my hands and one of them grabbed my neck threatening to kill me,” recalled Valdez of the frightening episode. 

On July 24, a routine reporting assignment for Radio Cepra’s Daniela Valdez at a protest, escalated into a horrific scene of mob violence with Valdez caught in the crossfire of growing hostility towards the press.

Valdez was covering a demonstration in Villa Bolivariana, Sucre where neighborhood leaders and rural protestors had taken over the Municipal Government office to protest the paving of a street. 

“The only thing I did was cry helplessly after being attacked by men and women who did not respect my condition as a woman or as a journalist,” said Valdez.

Despite displaying multiple press credentials and pleading with the crowd, resentful of the news coverage of the protest, the mob became even more aggressive.

As a result of the attack, Valdez experienced facial swelling, abdominal pain, lacerations on her arms, neck injuries, and a persistent headache for three days.

The journalist recounted how attackers also took her cell phone, on which she was recording the protest, stole her wedding ring from her hand, and broke her glasses.

The attack forced Daniela Valdez to stop working as a news presenter due to her injuries. It also affected her mental well-being as she struggled to recover from the traumatic incident. 

The prosecutor's office is investigating the assault and robbery committed by the attackers, some of whom have been identified as neighborhood leaders. But progress in the investigation has been slow, raising concerns among the journalistic community and advocates for press freedom.

Unfortunately, public distrust of the media is widespread in Bolivia, exacerbated by political instability and harmful rhetoric from politicians. Physical assaults on the press have intensified since 2020. The CFWIJ documented a similar attack against a woman journalist in Bolivia in April 2023, when journalist Iris Toro of Radio Kollasuyo was attacked twice while reporting on protests. 

This brutal assault on Daniela Valdez for carrying out her professional duties highlights the urgent need to ensure the safety of media professionals and strengthen the protection of press freedom in Bolivia. Politicians and neighborhood leaders organizing protests must refrain from inciting violence against journalists. Harmful rhetoric can result in aggression towards press workers and vicious assaults. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism wishes Daniela Valdez a speedy recovery. We strongly advocate for swift action from authorities, urging them to promptly and adequately penalize all individuals responsible for this atrocious attack and robbery. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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