(IPYS/IFEX) – The Sub-prefecture of Huaraz province, in the Ancash region, northeastern Peru, has for three months failed to respond to journalist Percy Ángeles Zimic’s request for protection. Ángeles Zimic received a death threat on 9 June 2004. After receiving no response from the Sub-prefecture, on 26 August Ángeles Zimic forwarded his request to the […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – The Sub-prefecture of Huaraz province, in the Ancash region, northeastern Peru, has for three months failed to respond to journalist Percy Ángeles Zimic’s request for protection. Ángeles Zimic received a death threat on 9 June 2004.
After receiving no response from the Sub-prefecture, on 26 August Ángeles Zimic forwarded his request to the regional Prefecture. The Prefecture sent the request back to the Huaraz Sub-prefecture. The Sub-prefecture informed IPYS that it has forwarded Ángeles Zimic’s request to the Interior Ministry, which is responsible for investigating the case.
The Sub-prefecture, however, did not explain why it had delayed three months in responding to the request for protection, when the follow up to such requests usually take place within 10 days.
Ángeles Zimic was threatened by former Ancash anticorruption prosecutor Víctor Manuel Rivera Vizcarra, who was fired from his job after the journalist investigated and published information about him in “Impacto” magazine. Ángeles Zimic is the magazine’s assistant director.
On 21 June, Ángeles Zimic submitted a request for protection to the Huaraz Sub-prefecture. Rivera Vizcarra, however, failed to appear when summoned to provide a statement on the matter, which, according to Ángeles Zimic is why the Sub-prefecture has not responded to the request.
On 14 July, Ángeles Zimic was again threatened while covering a demonstration. The journalist said that Rivera Vizcarra reminded him that he had not forgotten the reports that Ángeles Zimic had published about him. The journalist said he believes the authorities’ failure to respond is related to the political ties and friendships that allegedly exist between the former prosecutor and personnel at the Huaraz Sub-prefecture and Ancash Prefecture.
