By Giovana Sanchez
Journaist Ivan Pereira Costa was shot outside his home in Cujubim, Rondônia, in northwestern Brazil. His wife, journalist Ediléia Santos Silva, told G1 that the attempted murder may be related to her husband's work.
"We always reported the events that happen in the areas of agrarian conflicts, with investigations, and this has bothered people," she said.
The attack took place on April 4, when Costa was outside his house talking to a neighbor. According to Comunique-se, a man on a motorcycle passed slowly in front of the house and fired five times on the journalist, who is founder of news site Veja Noticias. Costa managed to run to a nearby field, but was hit in the arm and stomach. He was taken to a local hospital, underwent surgery and is doing well, according to Comunique-se.
Police did not identify the suspect in the attempted murder, who managed to escape. Also according to G1, the journalist told police he had seen the shooter "amid land invasions linked to groups in the region.”
The Association of Rondônia Electronic Newspapers (Arjore) issued a statement repudiating the attack and called for police effort in the investigation of the case.
"The press can not be silenced in this way, we all have the right to freedom of expression, the Constitution guarantees us this right and violence is an instrument of repression," said Almi Coelho, president of Arjore.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
