Journalist attacked

(IPYS/IFEX) – Journalist Marco Antonio Cossío Vega, director of the “La Voz del Pueblo” programme, broadcast on Radio Mix in Paramonga (Barranca province, north of Lima), had his leg broken in an attack, requiring surgery and the insertion of six pins. At about 1:30 a.m. on 27 June 1999, Cossío was held up by six […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – Journalist Marco Antonio Cossío Vega, director of the “La Voz
del Pueblo” programme, broadcast on Radio Mix in Paramonga (Barranca
province, north of Lima), had his leg broken in an attack, requiring surgery
and the insertion of six pins.

At about 1:30 a.m. on 27 June 1999, Cossío was held up by six unknown
individuals who beat him and then fled, leaving behind a cellular telephone,
a wrist watch, cash and other valuable objects that the journalist was
carrying. Cossío was able to identify one of his assailants as a common
criminal, known as “Piojo”, who had escaped from jail two months before the
incident and was recently detained again.

IPYS was able to confirm this information via a telephone interview with
Rafael Huertas
Rueda, a journalist and the owner of Radio Mix. Despite the fact that police
investigations are suggesting that this was another common criminal
attack -one of many that occur each day in the city – Huertas stated that
the possibility that someone hired the assailants and gave them specific
instructions to injure the journalist should not be discarded. According to
Huertas, it is possible that this was a message intended to frighten both
Cossío and Huertas for criticisms of the Paramonga municipal authorities
which have aired on Cossío’s programme.

If indeed this is the case, the prime suspect behind the attack would be the
current mayor of Paramonga, Domingo Ortega Narváez, who has been asked to
leave his post due to irregularities committed in the first six months of
his administration. This topic was discussed on Cossío’s programme, which
aired immediately preceeding the attack. Huertas informed IPYS that there
have also been accusations of abuses committed by the mayor’s security
personnel, made up of common criminals, drug addicts and persons formerly
convicted of murder.

Huertas further noted the occurrence of certain events that suggest that
there are persons who would like to have the programme taken off the air. At
the end of May, a threatening telephone call was received at the radio
station, stating: “Rafael Huertas and Marco Antonio Cossío, take the La Voz
del Pueblo [programme] off the air and nothing will happen.” Since then,
flyers have appeared maligning the journalists’ reputation, and rumours have
circulated that the mayor informed those working for him that there could be
repercussions against the journalists.

The attack against Cossío is seen by the public as an attempt against press
freedom. On 2 July, Paramonga’s main unions and institutions held a
demonstration protesting the ongoing abuses, asking for an investigation of
the attack and asking that those responsible be punished. The event, named
“For the right to life and freedom of expression”, was promoted by Radio
Mix.

Recommended Action

Jorge Santistevan de Noriega

Ombudsman

Fax: +51 1 426 6657

Lieutenant General Fernando Dianderas Otonne

Director General of the Peruvian National Police

Fax: +51 1 225 1775
Blanca Nélida Colán Maguiño

President of the Public Ministry’s Executive Committee

Fax: +51 1 426 4620 / 428 0969 / 428 4851 / 426 4860,  extensions 4923 /

4932
Chief of Police Julio Dulanto Navidad

Barranca Provincial Chief of the Peruvian National Police

Fax: +51 1 235 5189
Major Angel Cueva Orozco

Paramonga Police Superintendent of the Peruvian National Police

Fax: +51 1 236-0082
Domingo Ortega Narváez

Mayor of Paramonga

Fax: +51 1 236 0792