Programmes taken off the air on three Huanta radio stations; mayor threatens, coerces and slanders journalists

(IPYS/IFEX) – On 20 November 1998, IPYS reported that Milton Cordova la Torre, mayor of Huanta (department of Ayacucho,) began a campaign in October to pressure and slander the directors and hosts of the Radio Cosmos programme “Triángulo para una vida mejor” (“Triangle for a Better Life.”) The first instance occurred when Pablo Quintanilla, a […]

(IPYS/IFEX) – On 20 November 1998, IPYS reported that Milton Cordova la
Torre, mayor of Huanta (department of Ayacucho,) began a campaign in
October to pressure and slander the directors and hosts of the Radio Cosmos
programme “Triángulo para una vida mejor” (“Triangle for a Better Life.”)

The first instance occurred when Pablo Quintanilla, a local merchant who is
a supplier for the state sponsored child nutritional supplement programme
“vaso de leche” (“glass of milk,”) assaulted and issued a death threat
against journalist Abilio Arroyo Espinoza. Then, in various media outlets
in the city of Huamanga, the mayor accused journalists Cesar Flores
Gonzales, Abilio Arroyo Espinoza and Eduardo Pineda Gamboa (who hosts the
Radio Huanta 2000 show “Testigos de la Noticia” or “Witnesses of the News”)
of being blackmailers and pseudo-journalists.

According to the journalists, with these incidents, the mayor and his
supporters are trying to get revenge for an October piece which aired on
“Triángulo para una vida mejor.” The piece reported countless
irregularities in the Huanta provincial municipality’s administration. The
mayor, his brothers, and a number of municipal aldermen and civil servants
are said to be involved in illegal acts, including nepotism, influence
peddling, the use of public resources to personally benefit the mayor, his
family, aldermen, employees and friends who do business with the
municipality. The reports were substantiated with documents and statements
of former local civil servants. The most outrageous incident reported on
the programme was the taking of bribes in shady deals made by the mayor’s
brothers with suppliers of lumber for municipal works; the information was
based on the statements of Renán Danith Torres, a former civil servant who
was responsible for the municipality’s purchasing department. Apart from
these incidents, there are others rooted in local politics, particularly
involving candidates in the October municipal elections who ensured that
incumbent mayor Cordova La Torre would benefit from the support of state
institutions including the Educational Services Unit (Unidad de Servicios
Educativos,) Pronamach, Foncodes, PAR, the army, the National Police and
the peasant self-defence committees (Rondas Campesinas.)

In his last and gravest effort at revenge, the mayor pressured higher
government bodies like the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to
shut down “Triángulo para una vida mejor.” On 13 November, the owners of
Radio Cosmos told Flores his show was off the air.

Huanta’s mayor phoned IPYS to express surprise at the accusations the
journalists were levelling against him. He said that he was not a saint,
but nor were the journalists, who, according to him, exaggerated their
claims. After the call, IPYS investigated further, talked to various
sources, and concluded that the media reports could be backed up and were
reached after sound investigative work.

Recommended Action

Milton Cordova La Torre

Mayor

Huanta, Ayacucho, Peru

Fax: +511 64 83 2141

National Police Commander Adolfo Revilla Fernández

Provincial Police Chief – Huanta

Huanta, Ayacucho, Peru

Fax care of the local Ombudsman’s office: +511 64 81 1256
Dr. Vladimiro Huaroc Portocarrero

Ayacucho Representative of the Ombudsman’s Office

Ayacucho, Peru

Fax: +511 64 81 1256
Dr. Jorge Santistevan de Noriega

Ombudsman

Lima, Perú

Fax: +511 426 6657
Ing. Antonio Páucar Carbajal

Minister of Transportation and Communications

Lima, Peru

Fax: +511 433 6622