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- Three men arrested on suspicion of involvement in attack
- A studio technician was also injured in an incident that may have been politically motivated.
A Bolivian radio presenter was set on fire by four masked men while hosting his program in the southern city of Yacuiba.
Radio Popular journalist Fernando Vidal, 78, is being treated for burns after his attackers broke into the studio, poured gasoline on him and set him on fire.
Studio technician Karen Anza was also injured in the attack, which some witnesses said involved Molotov cocktails.
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Ranch riders: Two farmers in Yacuiba, southern Bolivia, which was the scene of the shocking attack
His son-in-law, Esteban Farfán, says Vidal suffered burns to his face, arms and chest.
Three people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the attack, the BBC reports.
According to his relatives, Vidal was reporting on smuggling in the border area when the attack occurred: Yacuiba is less than two miles from Argentina.
Vidal and other journalists recently criticized the increase in smuggling, particularly of liquefied petroleum gas.
Smuggling issue: Yacuiba is only two miles from the border with Argentina
Farfán believes the attack was politically motivated, although police have not commented.
He said that Vidal had spoken out live against the provincial government.
Bolivia’s Interior Ministry told AFP they will carry out an “accelerated and rigorous investigation.”
This is not the first time that a Bolivian radio station has been targeted in recent months.
In June there were three dynamite attacks against local stations, Radio Emisora Bolivia, Radio Vanguardia and Radio Cumbre.
Video: Burned journalist speaks after being taken to hospital
It is not the first time: the attack in Yacuiba came after three attacks on radio stations elsewhere in Bolivia in June