Christian Poveda, a Franco-Spanish documentary filmmaker, was shot and killed yesterday morning on the road near his home in Rosario, El Salvador. Poveda was a veteran journalist with experience reporting in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. His documentary about El Salvador’s two most notorious gangs, “La Vida Loca” is set to premiere on September 30 in France. You can see a trailer of the film here: http://www.lafemme-endormie.com/vidaloca.
In a statement on their website, the Committee to Protect Journalists Carlos Lauría, senior program coordinator for the Americas, said:
“Christian Poveda’s recent film about El Salvador’s street gangs provided a powerful inside look into youth violence in one of Central America’s most dangerous regions. We urge the authorities to conduct a prompt and exhaustive inquiry into his murder and bring all those responsible to justice.”
A close friend, fellow journalist, and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) board member Alan Mingam echoed similar sentiments on the RSF website:
“Christian was the son of Spanish Republicans who sought refuge in France. It was from his origins that he derived the strong humanist convictions to which he always remained faithful. He was a reporter in Chile, under the Pinochet dictatorship, in Nicaragua and El Salvador. He was very committed and involved in his subjects without taking sides. His humanistic convictions went hand in hand with a great deal of professional rigour.”