This archive report was first published on 19 June 2020.
On June 18, 2020, a Bolivian TV program, 'No Lies,' aired a 30-minute segment showing a COVID-19 patient's death in a hospital in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
The program, which airs nightly on the PAT channel, aimed to raise awareness about the country's struggling healthcare system, which has been overwhelmed by the pandemic.
However, the broadcast was met with criticism from the country's ombudswoman, Nadia Cruz, who accused the program of sensationalism and violating the national legal order.
Cruz stated that the broadcast 'repeatedly and morbidly' exhibited images of cardiopulmonary treatment being carried out on a person who unfortunately ended in death.
Journalists Maria Trigo and Fabiola Chambi also criticized the broadcast, with Trigo saying it showed a 'lack of respect for the family, for the deceased' and Chambi stating that it demonstrated 'a lack of respect and humanity.'
The government has yet to comment on the controversy.
