(IPYS/IFEX) – The director of “Liberacion” daily, César Hildebrandt, and journalist Mariela Patriau are facing a complaint for defamation, filed against them by Manuel Alberto Ulloa Van Peborgh, executive director of Editora Nacional, which publishes the “Expreso” and “Extra” dailies. Columnist Fernando Viaña Villa, former general manager of BDHIV, “Liberacion”‘s publishing house, was named as […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – The director of “Liberacion” daily, César Hildebrandt, and journalist Mariela Patriau are facing a complaint for defamation, filed against them by Manuel Alberto Ulloa Van Peborgh, executive director of Editora Nacional, which publishes the “Expreso” and “Extra” dailies.
Columnist Fernando Viaña Villa, former general manager of BDHIV, “Liberacion”‘s publishing house, was named as “the third civil party responsible”, and summoned to appear on 22 August 2000.
“Liberacion” notes that “the fact that a complaint was filed against Viaña, as manager of the publishing house, is a manoeuver orchestrated, according to a number of lawyers, to ensure that ‘Liberacion”s equipment and assets can eventually be confiscated”.
Ulloa Van Peborgh’s lawyers, Enrique Ghersi, Alberto Villanueva and Carlos Gutiérrez, assert that the businessman was defamed and his “honour and good reputation” were damaged by a 22 November 1999 article published in “Liberacion”, and four letters which “Liberacion” printed between February and June 2000.
“Liberacion” points out that the allegedly defamed party failed to follow normal procedure and never sent a letter to the newspaper explaining his point of view, nor asking for a correction to be printed.
Ulloa Van Peborgh accuses Hildebrandt of “having launched a campaign to discredit him,” which began with an article by Patriau, allegedly aimed at damaging his honour and good reputation.
Patriau’s article contained the testimony of Yugoslavian Princess Elizabeth Karageorgevic – who is also facing a complaint by Ulloa Van Peborgh. Karageorgevic is the widow of the plaintiff’s father, founder of “Expreso” and former minister, Manuel Ulloa Elías. In addition, the article contained copies of two letters addressed to the plaintiff by Oscar Wyatt, a Texan magnate and friend of Ulloa Elías, in which the current owner of “Expreso” is criticised for his actions during his father’s illness. Ulloa Van Peborgh holds “Liberacion” responsible for comments contained in the letters and further accuses the daily of “indirect defamation”.
Furthermore, the plaintiff wants to implicate the publishing house in the case, as according to his lawyers, “BDHIV was under legal obligation to ensure that the information presented in the article was true”.
The businessman is demanding three and a half million soles (approx. US$1 million) in damages from “Liberacion”.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
– asking for an immediate stop to the harassment against “Liberacion”
– calling for a fair and impartial investigation of the case
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:
Ing. Alberto Fujimori Fujimori
President of the Republic
Fax: +51 1 427 6722 / 426 6535
Dr. Federico Salas Guevara Shultz
President of the Council of Ministers
Fax: +51 1 447 1628 / 475 0689
Dra. Blanca Nélida Colán
Attorney General
Fax: +51 1 426 2474
Dr. Alberto Bustamante Belaunde
Minister of Justice
Fax: +51 1 422 3577
Dr. Víctor Raúl Castillo Castillo
President of the Peruvian Supreme Court
Fax: +51 1 428 0803
Dr. Jorge Santistevan de Noriega
Ombudsman
Fax: +51 1 426 6657
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
