Segundo Alvines and Braulio Rojas received the threats after reporting on corruption allegations involving the municipality of Bagua.
(IPYS/IFEX) – On 24 September 2011, journalists Segundo Alvines and Braulio Rojas, presenters of the “Hits Star Noticias” programme broadcast by the Hits Star radio station in Bagua, stated that they had received threatening leaflets at their homes after they reported on corruption allegations involving the provincial municipality of Bagua, in the northeastern Amazonas region of Peru.
During an interview on the journalists’ news programme, engineer Ángel Miguel Nureña had brought to light documents which apparently demonstrated irregularities in payments authorized by Bagua Mayor Ferry Torres, relating to the reworking of a technical document regarding work done at the municipal building that resulted in costs that were 50% higher than those outlined in the original study.
Alvines, who is also a correspondent for the “Ahora” newspaper, told IPYS that both he and his colleague received printed flyers telling them to leave the news programme and saying they would be killed if they refused to do so. The leaflets were put under the doors of their homes. He added that this is not the first time they have been targeted since on a previous occasion notices were circulated with defamatory comments about them.
The journalists have filed a formal complaint with the police and have also notified the local Public Prosecutor’s Office about the threats.
IPYS condemns these actions against Alvines y Rojas and calls on the authorities to investigate the matter and determine who is behind the threats.
