(PFC/IFEX) – During the night of 18 May 2003, unknown individuals threw stones at the home of journalist Sergio León, a correspondent for “La Prensa” newspaper in Bluefields. León had published a number of reports on drug trafficking in the region which is allegedly being carried out with the complicity of police officers. León has […]
(PFC/IFEX) – During the night of 18 May 2003, unknown individuals threw stones at the home of journalist Sergio León, a correspondent for “La Prensa” newspaper in Bluefields. León had published a number of reports on drug trafficking in the region which is allegedly being carried out with the complicity of police officers.
León has also received threats from individuals selling drugs. They reportedly told him, “be careful, you are going to be screwed,” and pretended to point a gun at him. “Ever since this whole affair began, my wife and I have not been able to sleep from fear that something will happen to us in the house,” León told PFC.
In the last three weeks, “La Prensa” has published an exposé on how drug traffickers operate along Nicaragua’s Atlantic coast. The reports allege that Subcommissioner Oscar Larrave, head of the anti-drug trafficking unit in Bluefields, is involved in drug trafficking and the circulation of counterfeit money. Larrave and his collaborators have reportedly set up a system to collect bribes from drug traffickers and drug sellers in the region in exchange for allowing them to carry out their criminal activities. Larrave has been temporarily suspended from the police force. The Prosecutor’s Office believes that he is guilty of drug trafficking, illicit appropriation of funds and of having failed to properly carry out his duties.
“La Prensa” has also reported that Subcommissioner Luis Cañas, who is a member of a committee in charge of investigating irregularities in the Bluefields police force, intimidated a newspaper vendor. The official reportedly grabbed a copy of “La Prensa” and shouted at the vendor, “don’t buy this newspaper, don’t believe what they say in ‘La Prensa’ (?) be careful, don’t go around talking [about what happened here].” Cañas was reportedly referring to the newspaper headlines on police corruption in the region. The police department has denied these accusations in an official press release.
In a letter to National Police Director Edwin Cordero Ardida, PFC called for an investigation into the involvement of police officers in drug trafficking.
For PFC’s letter to the National Police director and additional information on the case, see:
http://portal-pfc.org/perseguidos/2003/065.html
