(PFC/IFEX) – On 28 April 2003, journalist Gustavo García, of the daily “Última Hora”, received a death threat. At approximately 4:00 p.m. (local time), an unknown individual warned him in a telephone call, “because you are a good journalist you are sentenced to death.” The caller added, “you may laugh, but I assure you, you […]
(PFC/IFEX) – On 28 April 2003, journalist Gustavo García, of the daily “Última Hora”, received a death threat. At approximately 4:00 p.m. (local time), an unknown individual warned him in a telephone call, “because you are a good journalist you are sentenced to death.” The caller added, “you may laugh, but I assure you, you are sentenced.” Presumably, the caller’s intent was to frighten García and force him to abandon his investigations into irregularities and corruption.
In recent months, García has been reporting on the illegal diversion of Banco Oriental funds to offshore accounts. Businessman and Chinese national Wai Fu Chan and members of his family are facing charges in connection with the scandal. Approximately US$16 million in assets were diverted from the Banco Oriental and Banco Unión banks, presumably with the complicity of the Paraguay Central Bank’s former director, Julio González Ugarte, who is also facing charges.
In a letter to National Police Commander Tomás Chamorro, PFC expressed concern over the death threat issued against García. “Threats against journalists are aimed at discouraging them from investigating corruption and other illicit activities. Such intimidating practices must not be tolerated by the authorities, who should identify and punish those responsible,” the organisation stressed in its letter.
For PFC’s letter to Chamorro, a protest letter signed by “Última Hora” journalists and additional information on the case, see: http://portal-pfc.org/perseguidos/2003/055.html
