(IPYS/IFEX) – On the morning of 18 April 2004, Denis Pomajulca Benítez, a journalist for “Correo” newspaper in Piura, was attacked while he was covering a public meeting in the community of Apóstol Juan Bautista de Locuto, Tambogrande, Piura. A crowd of approximately 300 people turned on Pomajulca Benítez, attacking him and seizing his digital […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – On the morning of 18 April 2004, Denis Pomajulca Benítez, a journalist for “Correo” newspaper in Piura, was attacked while he was covering a public meeting in the community of Apóstol Juan Bautista de Locuto, Tambogrande, Piura.
A crowd of approximately 300 people turned on Pomajulca Benítez, attacking him and seizing his digital camera, identification documents and a tape recorder with which the journalist had been recording the event. Pomajulca Benítez managed to escape from the crowd by taking refuge in a nearby house.
According to the journalist, Kike Rodríguez, a lawyer who organised the meeting, witnessed the attack and, rather than doing anything to stop it, actually urged the crowd to turn on him.
Community leaders denied Pomajulca Benítez’s accusations, saying that during the public meeting, community members noticed the presence of an individual whom they did not recognise. The individual reportedly initially refused to identify himself, but then said he was a journalist for “El Tiempo” newspaper. He later said he was a law student at Piura National University.
The community leaders said that Pomajulca Benítez’s version of events could be compared with other tape recordings of the meeting. They also contradicted the journalist’s claims that Rodríguez had urged the crowd to attack him.
Pomajulca Benítez admitted that he had identified himself as being from a different newspaper because he noticed the crowd’s confrontational attitude towards certain media outlets. The journalist said “Correo” newspaper is not well received by some factions in the community.
