Tegucigalpa, Jan 21 (IANS/EFE) A message threatening journalist Eduardo Maldonado, whose son was kidnapped earlier this month, was left on the body of a man gunned down in the Honduran capital, the police said.
The body of 33-year-old Oscar Alejandro Nunez Mujica was found on the side of a boulevard in the eastern section of Tegucigalpa, National Police spokesman Orlin Cerrato said.

A “message addressed to journalist Eduardo Maldonado” was left on the dead man’s chest, Cerrato said Wednesday.

The message, according to Radio America, said: “Mr. Maldonado, if you don’t get that dog out of there, the next one is going to be your son, dog, I hope you understand.”

“It has not been established” whether there was a link between Maldonado and Nunez Mujica, who had a criminal record for drug and other charges going back to 1994, Cerrato said.

Nunez Mujica, whose hands and feet were bound, was shot several times.

Unidentified gunmen took away Luis Jose Maldonado Martinez, 16, from the family’s house in Tegucigalpa Jan 9.

At least four armed men drove up to the house in an SUV, “burst inside and pointed weapons” at the journalist, other members of his family and servants, leaving them tied up, Cerrato said earlier this month.

Maldonado, who is close to ousted President Mel Zelaya, has hosted the news and commentary show “Hable como habla”, which is broadcast on Radio Globo and Channel 12 television, for several years.

The journalist was a candidate in the ruling Liberal Party’s 2008 presidential primary, losing to Elvin Santos.

Santos lost the 2009 presidential election to opposition National Party candidate Porfirio Lobo, who takes office Jan 27.

The 16-year-old daughter of journalist Carol Cabrera, who hosts a show on state-owned Channel 8 television, was killed by gunmen Dec 15.

Catherine Nicolle Rodriguez, who was eight months’ pregnant, was riding in a vehicle with several other people when the attack occurred.

–IANS/EFE

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