(IPYS/IFEX) – Journalists from several local and national media outlets were attacked in Chimbote, the provincial capital of Santa, Ancash region, by municipal security personnel and individuals reportedly hired by Mayor Estuardo Díaz Delgado. The mayor was recently suspended from office by the city councillors. The incident occurred on 2 February 2004, at approximately 11:00 […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – Journalists from several local and national media outlets were attacked in Chimbote, the provincial capital of Santa, Ancash region, by municipal security personnel and individuals reportedly hired by Mayor Estuardo Díaz Delgado. The mayor was recently suspended from office by the city councillors.
The incident occurred on 2 February 2004, at approximately 11:00 a.m. (local time), when acting mayor Leandro Pérez Rodríguez, accompanied by municipal workers and armed forces officials, tried to remove Díaz Delgado from the city hall. Díaz Delgado has remained in the building since 30 January, refusing to hand duties over to Pérez Rodríguez. Pérez Rodríguez has the backing of most of the city councillors and the municipal staff. Both men belong to the Partido Aprista Peruano party.
The suspended mayor, with the help of municipal police and a private security crew, fiercely resisted the incursion, hurling bricks, chairs, furniture and other heavy objects at Pérez Rodríguez’s entourage and at the journalists who were covering the event. Jonel Bonilla Luna, of “La Industria” newspaper, and Abigail Díaz Moncada, of “Diario de Chimbote” newspaper, received heavy blows to the body.
One hour later, after calm had apparently been restored and Pérez Rodríguez and his people had withdrawn from the scene, the journalists positioned themselves at different points throughout the city in order to better cover the events. Suddenly, from within the city hall, individuals threw bricks at reporters Marcos Villanueva Escobar, of “Diario de Chimbote”, Nilton Gamboa, of “La Industria”, Santos Paredes García and Elvis Nuñez Valencia, of Radioprogramas de Perú, Edwin Azaña Alejos of Channel 31 television station, Nancy Arellano Pesantes, Channel N television station correspondent, and others. Fortunately, none of the journalists were injured. Later in the afternoon, the same individuals attacked the journalists again.
The president of the National Journalists’ Association’s Chimbote branch telephoned Hugo Ferreira, the municipality’s head of publicity and one of Díaz Delgado’s supporters, to warn him that if anything happened to a journalist the suspended mayor would be held responsible.
IPYS condemned Díaz Delgado’s actions and deplored the attacks against the press. The organisation urged the authorities to fully investigate the incident, using as evidence the press photographs taken that day, so that those responsible can be identified.
