(IPYS/IFEX) – In the eastern Peruvian city of Tingo María, journalist Ricardo Guerrero Febres, who collaborates with the local radio station Radio Aleluya and with the local affiliate of the Global TV-Channel 13 television network, was unexpectedly detained and accused of being a terrorist. The incident occurred at the local electoral office (the Oficina Descentralizada […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – In the eastern Peruvian city of Tingo María, journalist
Ricardo Guerrero Febres, who collaborates with the local radio station
Radio Aleluya and with the local affiliate of the Global TV-Channel 13
television network, was unexpectedly detained and accused of being a
terrorist. The incident occurred at the local electoral office (the Oficina
Descentralizada de Procesos Electorales, or ONPE) as the journalist was
pursuing a story regarding upcoming municipal elections.
On 26 August 1998 around 11:45 a.m. (local time), Guerrero Febres had a
brief conversation with the electoral office’s director, Carlos Manuel
Hurtado Guerrero, who refused to provide further information. When Hurtado
Guerrero realized Guerrero Febres was recording the exchange, he admonished
the journalist, threw him out of the ONPE office and reported him to
police. The journalist was then taken to a police station, where Hurtado
Guerrero himself accused the journalist of being a terrorist and ordered an
immediate investigation. All the while, some officials were telling Hurtado
Guerrero to drop the matter, since Guerrero Febres is well-known, both as a
journalist and as a university professor.
Felipe Paucar, IPYS’s correspondent in Tingo María, reported that Guerrero
Febres was held for 15 minutes, questioned and asked to give statements for
about three hours, then released. Because of the magnitude of the charges,
the case is being investigated in National Police (PNP) headquarters. The
Office of the Human Rights of Journalists (OFIP), mandated by the National
Executive of the National Association of Journalists (ANP), is assuring the
journalist’s legal defense.
As part of the investigation, Guerrero Febres has been asked to present a
certificate proving he is an accredited journalist and copies of his
contracts with Radio Aleluya and Global TV. However, Guerrero Febres, an
accountant by trade, does not have a journalism degree, and, it is
customary for journalists and contributors to local media in the region to
be without formal contracts. Besides, Guerrero Febres’ journalistic work is
public and well-known.
Two journalists’ associations — the Colegio de Periodistas and the Tingo
María chapter of the National Association of Journalists (ANP) — have each
issued statements supporting Guerrero Febres and rejecting the charges
being levelled against him. Hurtado Guerrero is not only attacking the
fundamental rights of an individual, but is also attacking freedom of
expression and information — so hard-fought in Perú–, says IPYS.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the Chief of the National Police:
journalist Ricardo Guerrero Febres
Send appeals to the director of the ONPE:
and asking that he give his full cooperation to elections coverage
Appeals To
General PNP Fernando Dianderas
Director General of the National Police
Lima, Peru
Fax: +511 225 4050José Portillo
Director, ONPE (electoral office)
Fax: + 511 330 3985
