(IFJ/IFEX) – On Wednesday 1 March 2000, Walter Chipoco Espinoza, campaign manager for the ruling party’s member of congress, Carmen Lozada de Gamboa, kidnapped journalist Ana Maria Tejada Purizaca, from the city of Tacna. Tejada, a journalist with “La Republica” newspaper, was held for half and hour and recordings she had made were erased. In […]
(IFJ/IFEX) – On Wednesday 1 March 2000, Walter Chipoco Espinoza, campaign manager for the ruling party’s member of congress, Carmen Lozada de Gamboa, kidnapped journalist Ana Maria Tejada Purizaca, from the city of Tacna. Tejada, a journalist with “La Republica” newspaper, was held for half and hour and recordings she had made were erased.
In the Thursday 2 March edition of “La Republica”, Lima’s daily newspaper reported that Tejada was interviewing Chipoco in the Peru 2000 campaign headquarters, located at 943 Bolognesi Avenue in Lima. The conversation began normally, but Chipoco’s attitude changed when the young reporter turned on her recorder.
A little later, Chipoco demanded that Tejada stop recording, but she refused. Then Chipoco grabbed the tape, and when Tejada complained about his actions, Chipoco shouted at her that “La Republica” publishes articles against Peru 2000 and the government.
Claiming that he is friends with the Tacna branch’s editors, Chipoco invited the journalist to clear up the incident at the editorial office. He offered to drive her to the office in his red station wagon, license plate PK-5048. However, he detoured during the trip and took the journalist against her will to the house of member of congress Lozada’s mother, Carmen Rondon.
Chipoco erased his statements from the tape he had seized by taping over it with music from the radio. He later returned the journalistâs work materials, made her get in his vehicle and left her on a downtown street.
Tejada appeared before Tacna’s Human Rights Association. The organisation immediately drafted a report documenting the incident. Tejada presented the report to Tacna’s Third Provincial Attorney, citing the crimes of coercion and attempt to limit freedom of information, opinion, expression and dissemination of information. She also requested personal guarantees of protection from the police division directed by Gina Gottuzo Ovalle.
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Appeals To
Alberto Fujimori Fujimori
President of the Republic
Fax: +51 14 266 770 / 266 535
General Cesar Saucedo Sanchez
Minister of the Interior
Fax: +51 12 242 405
Dr. Blanca Nelida Colan Maguiño
Attorney General
Fax: +51 14 262 474 / 264 620
Dr. Jorge Santistevan De Noriega
Ombudsman
Fax: +51 14 267 800 / 275 847
Carmen Lozada De Gamboa
Member of Congress
Fax: +51 14 283 023
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