(IPYS/IFEX) – Member of Congress Jorge del Castillo, of the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana, APRA), filed a complaint against “Etecé” magazine’s editorial committee, accusing them of having slandered and defamed him. The accusation stems from the magazine’s publication of a photo essay, in which the member of congress is portrayed as […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – Member of Congress Jorge del Castillo, of the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana, APRA), filed a complaint against “Etecé” magazine’s editorial committee, accusing them of having slandered and defamed him.
The accusation stems from the magazine’s publication of a photo essay, in which the member of congress is portrayed as having assaulted a police officer during the “marcha de los cuatro suyos” protest.
Del Castillo asserts that on 5 August 2000, in its edition No 4, “Etecé” magazine – which is distributed free of charge by the Telefonica del Perú company to Cable Mágico subscribers -“published a photo essay with malicious intent.”
The following caption appears below the photo essay: “Member of Congress Jorge del Castillo seen attacking a police officer. Minutes later, when additional officers arrived, he pretended that he was protecting the officer from over-excited aggressors”.
According to Del Castillo, this allegation is completely false and invented, as he was simply protecting and helping the police officer who had fallen and was being attacked by some of the demonstrators.
“Etecé” has issued a press release publicly apologising to the member of congress and to its readers for the error. In the press release, the magazine explains that further research into the events portrayed in the photo essay “revealed that the photograph’s contents had been interpreted inaccurately”, and that a correction – in accordance with the law – would appear in the magazine’s upcoming edition.
