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Ángel Eduardo Gahona Name | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ángel Eduardo Gahona January 14, 1976 Nicaragua |
| Died | April 21, 2018 (42 years old) Bluefields, Nicaragua |
| Cause of death | Gun shot wound, killed |
| Resting place | Bluefields, Nicargua |
| Nationality | Nicaraguan |
| Occupation | Broadcast producer & journalist |
| Employer | El Meridiano (televison program) |
| Television | El Meridiano Television Program, Canal 6 |
| Spouse | Migueliuth Sandoval |
| Children | Two children |
| Mother | Amanda Gahona |
| Relatives | Juan Gahona (brother) |
Ángel Eduardo Gahona, (14 January 1976 – 21 April 2018), a Nicaraguan journalist and producer for the "El Meridiano" television program in Bluefields, South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region, Nicaragua was killed while covering the 2018 Nicaraguan protests against Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega and streamed his own death on Facebook live.[1]
Personal
editÁngel Eduardo Gahona was the son of Amanda Gahona and he was raised in Nicaragua.[1] He married Migueliuth Sandoval, a fellow journalist and a reporter from the local television station that he worked at, El Meridiano..[2] Gahona was a father of two.[1]
Career
editÁngel Eduardo Gahona was the producer and director of the independent television program called El Meridiano.[2][3] Before working there, Gahona previously worked as a reporter for another local television channel Canal 6 (Nicaragua).[1] His usual reports were about major events happening in Nicaragua. The topics he prominently reported about was police brutality, drug issues, and events happening within his local government.[1] The Nicaraguan government started to censor and shut down local news and television stations. During this time, Gahona took his broadcasts to the internet and started to report on Facebook Live.[3]
Death
edit
Ángel Eduardo Gahona was killed on April 21,2018 in Bluefields,Nicaragua. He was only 42 years old. Weeks leading up to his death, Gahona was forced to switch his platform of journalism to online due to television broadcasting (mainly news) getting taken off air by the orders of the Government of Nicaragua and the Nicaraguan Institute for Telecommunications.[3] He was reporting at an antigovernment protest over President Daniel Ortega's decision on a social security reform in Nicaragua.[4][5] In the moments before his death, he started a Facebook Live and was reporting about a damaged ATM. [2] During this live broadcast, unknown gunshots were fired and the journalist tumbled down stairs and was found on the ground bleeding.[6] [5] When discovered, bystanders and fellow journalists rushed to his side, trying to stop the flow of blood, but it was too late. Ángel Eduardo Gahona was pronounced dead in route to the hospital.[7][8] Gahona's official cause of death was determined as a gunshot wound to the head.[3]
In early May, two potential murder suspects were arrested, Brandon Tayler (18) and Glen Slate (20). The two reportedly killed the journalist with a handmade gun.[9] Their motive for the crime was unclear. The 42 year old was one of forty five people killed in a five day period during the protests.[2]
Context
editÁngel Eduardo Gahona's death was a dangerous assignment due to the severity of the protests happening in Nicaragua.[2] Locals gathered in Bluefields for an anti-government protest against President Daniel Ortega due to his announcement on social security reform.[4][5] Many locals were infuriated about the reform, so they started to march in the streets on Bluefields. Gahona reported on major local events including those related to those police, drug, and government related.[1]
Impact
editÁngel Eduardo Gahona's death was just one of the many deaths in result to the deadly protests. Gahona's death was important to journalism community because it shows the severity of what can happen while reporting live and what the government may or may not want to be published. Amanda Gahona, his mother, believes strongly that the police killed him to send a message to journalists to stop reporting and supporting protests.[1] Gahona's brother, Juan Gahona said in an interview that the family is searching for the truth.[2] After his death, Gahona's mother and other mothers of the victims killed marched for justice.[1] President Daniel Ortega eventually did repeal his social security reform in wake of the deadly protests.[7]
Reactions
editAudrey Azoulay, director-general of UNESCO, called for the investigation of Gahona's death on May 4, 2018. She said, "“I call on the authorities to investigate this killing and bring its perpetrators to trial. It is essential that the authorities do all in their power to enable journalists to bring their contribution to informed public debate without risking life and limb."[10]
After the murder of Gahona, President Daniel Ortega was interrupted during a speech with chants of "Justice for Ángel Gahona!"[1]
At the time of his murder, some fellow journalists who were also at the protest Gahona was covering when he was killed were vocal about their reactions after his death. One said he thought that it was a joke or fell until he saw Gahona bleeding.[1] His family who tuned in to his live video on Facebook were unaware of what happened right away.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Bluefields, Carl David Goette-Luciak in (29 May 2018). "How a journalist's death live on air became a symbol of Nicaragua's crisis". the Guardian.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Ángel Eduardo Gahona". cpj.org.
- ^ a b c d "RSF urges Nicaraguan authorities to investigate reporter's murder - Reporters without borders". RSF.
- ^ a b "Journalist shot dead during Facebook Live broadcast".
- ^ a b c "Reporter fatally shot on Facebook Live amid Nicaragua unrest - CBC News".
- ^ "Journalist shot dead during live broadcast in Nicaragua".
- ^ a b "A journalist's death was captured on Facebook Live during protests in Nicaragua".
- ^ "Journalist shot dead on Facebook Live while covering protests in Nicaragua".
- ^ "Two men formally accused in murder of Nicaraguan journalist; family of the deceased protests accusation". Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas.
- ^ "Director-General calls for investigation into shooting of journalist Ángel Eduardo Gahona in Nicaragua". UNESCO.