On 1 February 2000, journalist Juan RamÃrez Vásquez, director of the television programme Facts (Hechos), which is broadcast by the local Global Television station in Pucallpa, sought protection from the Ucayali prefecture. The motivation for his request, according to the document presented by the journalist, was the arrival at his work place of a letter […]
On 1 February 2000, journalist Juan RamÃrez Vásquez, director of the television programme Facts (Hechos), which is broadcast by the local Global Television station in Pucallpa, sought protection from the Ucayali prefecture. The motivation for his request, according to the document presented by the journalist, was the arrival at his work place of a letter warning RamÃrez about a plot to assassinate him.
RamÃrez stated that this was not the first warning he had received. However he noted that this particular document greatly concerned him. Signing the letter with the pseudonym “El Negro”, the author said that a person named Helder GarcÃa del Ãguila, allegedly the governor of the Yarinacocha district, which borders on Pucallpa, was contracting the services of a hired assassin known as “El Gringo” to kill the journalist.
According to RamÃrez, the threats against him are motivated by the news reports he broadcasts on his programme condemning the conduct of lawyer David Lecaros Chávez, of the Ucayali High Court. According to the threatening letter, this lawyer allegedly asked the governor to do him this “favour.”
However, the real name of the current governor of Yarinacocha is Elder GarcÃa Dávila, not Helder GarcÃa del Aguila, as was indicated in the letter signed by “El Negro”. According to an interview published in the 3 February edition of the local newspaper “Ahora”, GarcÃa Dávila said he was very surprised about what had happened. He assured “Ahora” that he did not know anyone with the nicknames “El Negro” or “El Gringo”. He also said that he believes there must have been some confusion and that he would contact both the journalist and the authorities to clear up the matter.
The journalist sent copies of his request for protection to the Ucayali’s Sixth Police Region, the president of Ucayali’s High Court of Justice, the Vicarageâs Human Rights Office and the high district attorney.