Mayor Iván Vásquez, municipal authorities and a large number of journalists from different news media assembled in the La Concertacion hall of the Provincial Municipality of Maynas, in eastern Peru, to issue a declaration denouncing attempts to thwart press freedom. In the declaration, they protested the 14 March 2000 attack against journalist Luis Ugaz Espinoza, […]
Mayor Iván Vásquez, municipal authorities and a large number of journalists from different news media assembled in the La Concertacion hall of the Provincial Municipality of Maynas, in eastern Peru, to issue a declaration denouncing attempts to thwart press freedom.
In the declaration, they protested the 14 March 2000 attack against journalist Luis Ugaz Espinoza, “who, during a violent raid of the Radio Astoria studio, was physically assaulted and received death threats”. According to information received from Mary Pérez, the IPYS correspondent in Iquitos, the attackers were two individuals who posed as interviewees and who managed to enter the booth while the journalist was directing the programme “Yo soy la voz del Pueblo”.
According to the document, the attackers travelled in a grey vehicle with licence plate AY-3744 (whose owner and presumed driver was identified as Javier Vela Ramírez); and a red Toyota pick-up truck with plate number PGZ-796, which is owned by the P&C Service company. A person with the surname Palomino – who apparently provides logistic support for the army – was driving the truck, and was accompanied by an unidentified military officer.
The declaration also refers to the break-in at the home of Carlos Martínez Chávez, a reporter with the “La Razon” programme aired on Radio Arpegio. The IPYS correspondent reported that, on 16 March, two individuals raided the journalist’s home and vandalised the property without taking anything of value.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
– protesting these acts of intimidation
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:
Alberto Fujimori Fujimori
President of the Republic
Fax: +51 1 427 6722 / 426 6535
Alberto Bustamante Belaunde
President of the Council of Ministers
Fax: +51 1 447 1628 / 475 0689
Blanca Nélida Colán
Attorney General
Fax: +51 1 426 2474
Jorge Santistevan de Noriega
Ombudsman
Fax: +51 1 426 6657
Lieutenant General Fernando Dianderas Otonne
General Director of the Peruvian National Police
Fax: +51 1 225 1775
Martha Hildebrandt Pérez
President of Congress
Fax: +51 1 426 8290
Víctor Raúl Castillo Castillo
President of the Peruvian Supreme Court
Fax: +51 1 428 0803
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
