Former “El Comercio” journalist worried about renewed threats

(IPYS/IFEX) – Journalist Jesus Raimundo expressed to the Association for Human Rights (Asociacion Pro Derechos Humanos, APRODEH) his concern due to an intimidating letter sent to ATV Noticias anchorman Ruben Trujillo on 23 August 1999 (see IFEX alert of 30 August 1999). As a warning, the letter recounted the threats directed against Raimundo in 1998, […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – Journalist Jesus Raimundo expressed to the Association for
Human Rights (Asociacion Pro Derechos Humanos, APRODEH) his concern due to
an intimidating letter sent to ATV Noticias anchorman Ruben Trujillo on 23
August 1999 (see IFEX alert of 30 August 1999). As a warning, the letter
recounted the threats directed against Raimundo in 1998, when he worked on
the weekly supplement of the “El Comercio” newspaper, “El Dominical”. The
letter to Trujillo attributes both threats to Fredy Moreno, vice-minister or
the presidency

APRODEH has requested IPYS’ intervention to carry out urgent actions on
behalf of Raimundo in order to guarantee his physical integrity, the free
exercise of his profession and his right to freedom of expression.

Raimundo received threats after publishing an investigation about Moreno and
his family, in the Sunday supplement “El Dominical”, on 9 August 1998.
Raimundo denounced their abuse of authority and the alleged exceeding of
their powers in Huaraz. At that time, Moreno was the president of the Chavin
region and prefect of Huaraz. His immediate family owned communication
companies, cinemas, concessionaires and real estate companies.

At the same time the article revealed that Huaraz journalists who had
reported on the irregularities attributed to the Moreno family were
threatened and, in some cases, intimidated in other ways. For example, Angel
Duran, who denounced Moreno on Radio Video Stereo, was taken to court by the
vice-president of the region, Carlos Maldonado, who accused Duran of not
being an accredited journalist in Ancash. This case received national
attention.

According to Raimundo’s article Maldonado also sued a journalist, Carlos
Miranda, for slander and injuries and accused him of the non-existent crime
of illegal practice of journalism. This came as a consequence of the Radio
Video Stereo news programme “Con…Tacto” (With… Tact) which revealed a
mining company’s role in rehabilitating a stretch of the Pativilca-Conococha
highway. The people of Huaraz did not know of the mining company’s
contribution which was valued at US$360,000, despite the fact that the
regional president and Maldonado, his technical secretary, constantly
inspected the work.

The day after the article was published in “El Comercio”, the Moreno family
sent a letter to the director of the supplement, Francisco Miro Quesada
Cantuarias, requesting “an immediate, free and proportional rectification of
the inaccurate statements” which the article by Raimundo supposedly
contained and which, according to the Moreno family, were offensive and
damaged their family’s image. However, after evaluating the evidence and
the details of the investigation, the newspaper decided not to publish a
rectification and to leave the issue alone.

Before this, in April 1998, Raimundo had received death threats over the
phone, by fax and painted on the wall of his house, due to a interview he
had with captain Julio Salas of the fiscal police. In the interview, Salas,
who had take refuge in Miami, admitted that he had been forced by the
National Intelligence Service (SIN) to accuse Baruch Ivcher of having taken
part in an illegal business selling cars.

The death threats were made the day before the interview was published. This
suggests that telephone surveillance was being carried out. The contents of
the interview were related to the plan Tsunami 97, which was presumably
elaborated by the secret service to silence Ivcher (see IFEX alerts of 12
May and 5 May 1998).

Recommended Action

Alberto Fujimori Fujimori

President of the Republic

Lima, Peru

Fax: +51 1 427 6722 / 426 6535