Journalist Juan Carlos Calderón has received death threats and warnings after publishing an investigative report on alleged mismanagement of reinsurance plans for public enterprises, in a new digital magazine called Plan V.
Journalist Juan Carlos Calderón has received death threats and warnings after publishing an investigative report on alleged mismanagement of reinsurance plans for public enterprises, in a new digital magazine called Plan V.
Calderón told Fundamedios that on September 26, 2013 he received a threat in a short text message in which he was warned: “If you keep messing with this topic we’ll beat the shit out of you”. The message also said that Calderón would be followed closely.
The second threat occurred on September 30, when Calderón was approached by people from an insurance company who told him that he could get killed for this investigation.
Finally, on October 2, two unknown men were wandering near Calderón’s home and asking the security staff of the residential area if his house was for sale. Calderón considered this as an act of harassment, since his home is not on the market and it was the only house these men asked about.
Calderón is a well-known investigation journalist in Ecuador. He directed Vanguardia Magazine until it was closed in June 2013, after the Communications Law was passed. A few weeks ago he launched Plan V by teaming up with other former journalists from Vanguardia.
Calderón believes the threats are a direct consequence of the article “Insurance Wars” (“La Guerra de los Seguros”), published in the latest issue of Plan V online.
