(IFJ/IFEX) – On Saturday 2 December 2000, a terrible fire destroyed the studios of Radio Super Continental 1480 AM, a radio station which used to broadcast in Piura, in the province of Chulucanas. The disastrous event occurred between 2:00 and 3:00 a.m. (local time). There is reason to believe that the fire was started by […]
(IFJ/IFEX) – On Saturday 2 December 2000, a terrible fire destroyed the studios of Radio Super Continental 1480 AM, a radio station which used to broadcast in Piura, in the province of Chulucanas.
The disastrous event occurred between 2:00 and 3:00 a.m. (local time). There is reason to believe that the fire was started by unknown individuals who sprayed the transmission booth with gasoline. The attack is thought to have been meant to silence the radio station, subsequent to its recent extensive reporting on irregularities in the Municipality of Chulucanas, which led to Mayor Clara Liliana Baca Palacios vacating her post.
The radio station’s owner, Alfredo Kuroki Palacios, filed a complaint with the National Police, Piura branch. Kuroki informed the Human Rights Office of the Peruvian National Association of Journalists (Asociacion Nacional de Periodistas del Perú) that the fire destroyed the studios and transmission equipment, including a console, microphones, taperecorders and telephone lines, valued at approximately 30,000 soles (approx. US$8,515).
Kuroki emphasised that despite what had happened, he would do all he could to ensure that the radio station would go back on air, and he hoped that the police would act swiftly. He noted that the criminals, who entered the studio through the back entrance, left behind a document and that thus far three suspects have been identified.
Kuroki’s statements were confirmed by journalist Fernando Yenque Guevara, head of the news department, who suggested that the radio station was attacked in retaliation for its independent editorial stance. He added that the fire was a serious attack against free expression and, furthermore, had left fifteen individuals, including journalists, announcers, technicians and administrative personnel, without employment.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
– calling for a swift investigation such that those responsible for the fire will be identified, apprehended and punished according to the law
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:
Dr. Valentin Paniagua Corazao
President of the Republic
Governmental Palace
Fax: +51 14 266 770 / 266 535
General Antonio Ketin Vidal Herrera
Minister of the Interior
Fax: +51 1 224 2405
Dr. Nelly Calderon Navarro
Attorney General
Office of the Attorney General
Fax: +51 14 264 620 / 262 474
Doctor Walter Alban Peralta
Ombudsman
Fax: +51 1 426 7800
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