(IPYS/IFEX) – According to what IPYS has deduced from a statement by Congresswoman Martha Chavez Cossio, president of Congress’ Commission of Defence, Internal Security and Intelligence, a photo of ex-intelligence agent Luisa Zanatta Muedas, published in the daily “La Republica” on 5 April 1998, has been the object of an expert police report. The report, […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – According to what IPYS has deduced from a statement by
Congresswoman Martha Chavez Cossio, president of Congress’ Commission of
Defence, Internal Security and Intelligence, a photo of ex-intelligence
agent Luisa Zanatta Muedas, published in the daily “La Republica” on 5 April
1998, has been the object of an expert police report. The report, which
Chavez Cossio promoted, concluded that the photograph was a fake.
In the photo, intelligence agent Luisa Zanatta Muedas and army technician
Marco Florez Alban pose surrounded by some technical equipment. Ex-agent
Zanatta stated that the surroundings in the photo match the interior of a
telephone listening post devoted to spying on Ambassador Javier Perez de
Cuellar and other opposition politicians, on the eve of the 1995 elections,
the period in which the photo was taken.
On 17 April 1998, at the insistence of public prosecutor Hugo Salvatierra,
who is looking into the case of telephone espionage, “La Republica” handed
over the negative (labelled A2), which was part of a strip of four stills.
The other three photos are of an unidentified youth (A1), and groups of
young female students, one of whom is Luisa Zanatta. In spite of that,
Congresswoman Chavez Cossio, has said that the photo is a fake.
Background Information
Journalist Edmundo Cruz travelled specially to Miami to certify in writing –
by means of a sworn statement – the decision of Luisa Zanatta to turn over
the photo and negative to “La Republica.” This took place in Miami on 1
April 1998.
In Miami with the negative, “La Republica” sought the professional opinion
of North American photojournalist Tim Chapman, who has 26 years of
experience working at the “Miami Herald.” Chapman confirmed the authenticity
of the photograph. In Lima, Thomas Muller, photojournalist with the German
magazine “Der Spiegel”, who has 30 years experience in determining photo
authenticity, submitted the negative to sophisticated technical tests and
learned that it had not been altered in any way.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
published in “La Republica”
Appeals To
Carlos Torres y Torres Lara
Presidenta del Congreso de la Republica
Lima, Peru
Fax: +511 4265053
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
