Ongoing investigation of Piuran journalists’ assassination

(IFJ/IFEX) – The investigations into the assassination of journalists Isabel Chumpitaz Panta and her husband José Amaya Jacinto, which occurred on 6 April 1998, are still not completed and therefore political motives cannot be ruled out, according to Piuran lawyer Carlos Cárcamo Ladines. Cárcamo was responding to declarations made by President Fujimori, on Saturday 1 […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – The investigations into the assassination of journalists Isabel
Chumpitaz Panta and her husband José Amaya Jacinto, which occurred on 6
April 1998, are still not completed and therefore political motives cannot
be ruled out, according to Piuran lawyer Carlos Cárcamo Ladines. Cárcamo was
responding to declarations made by President Fujimori, on Saturday 1 May
1999, rejecting the idea of the existence of a plan of attack against the
press.

**Updates IFEX alerts of 18 June, 15 April and 8 April 1998**

Fujimori referred to the journalists’ assassination, which occurred in the
Union district, as a delinquent act that had been fully investigated and
that its aim had been to rob a bar of gold from the Chumpitaz house.

“The President has been misinformed,” Cárcamo replied, clarifying that the
investigations had not been exhausted, especially given the 30 April capture
of Henry Santos Bautista, alias “Narras”, one of the persons allegedly
implicated in the double crime.

Cárcamo added that Santos knows a great deal about the planning of the
attack on the estate where the journalists were killed. His version of the
facts was to be made known on Tuesday, 4 May, and thus the investigation had
clearly not been concluded.

Chumpitaz and her husband directed the “Sombrero de Paja” and “La Voz del
Pueblo” programmes, respectively, on satellite Radio in the Union district
in Piura.

Recommended Action

Alberto Fujimori Fujimori

President of the Republic

Governmental Palace

Lima, Peru

Fax: + 51 14 26 6535

Jorge Santistevan de Noriega

Ombudsman

Office of the Ombudsman

Lima, Peru

Fax: +51 14 26 7889
Miguel Aljovin Swayne

Attorney General

Office of the Attorney General

Lima, Peru

Fax: +51 14 262 474