(IPYS/IFEX) – On 31 March 2005, the lawyer for San Agustín University (UNSA) rector Rolando Cornejo Cuervo accused journalist Mabel Cáceres of extortion. Cáceres, the director of the weekly “El Búho”, based in the southern Arequipa region, has been subjected to harassment, including death threats and anonymous smear campaigns, since she revealed a series of […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 31 March 2005, the lawyer for San Agustín University (UNSA) rector Rolando Cornejo Cuervo accused journalist Mabel Cáceres of extortion. Cáceres, the director of the weekly “El Búho”, based in the southern Arequipa region, has been subjected to harassment, including death threats and anonymous smear campaigns, since she revealed a series of irregularities in the administration of the university in 2003.
The latest accusation was sent to Cáceres by way of a notarised letter. In the letter, lawyer Miguel Sierra López stated that during a conversation between himself and Cáceres in the presence of witnesses, the journalist demanded money in exchange for not publishing information against him.
The journalist has said that although she did in fact have a conversation with Sierra López, they only spoke about a defamation complaint that Cornejo Cuervo and the lawyer launched against her in January. The complaint is being evaluated by Arequipa’s First Criminal Court. This is the third time Cornejo Cuervo has launched a defamation complaint against Cáceres. The journalist was absolved in the two previous cases.
Since 2003, an unregistered biweekly publication, “Página 12”, has repeatedly published articles about Cáceres, in which they call her a “liar” and “easy woman”. The last of these articles was published in March. Cáceres has maintained that “Página 12” receives money for advertisements from the UNSA, although the advertisements are never actually published. The journalist fears that the harassment she is currently experiencing could lead to more aggressive actions.
