Over 100 journalists and media projects from across the world signed a letter to demand an end to the repression of the Peruvian people and to the attacks against journalists.
The Peruvian people have been on the streets across the country to reject the coup that took constitutional president Pedro Castillo out of office on December 7. The Peruvian authorities have responded to these mass protests with brutal violence. As of today, Peruvian human rights organizations estimate that 48 people have been killed in the context of the protests and hundreds more have been injured.
Mainstream, corporate media in Peru has helped reinforce the government’s narrative that those who are on the streets are “criminals”, “terrorists” and that their demands are illegitimate. Meanwhile, independent and alternative media outlets and journalists in the country who have been covering the protests, have faced threats, campaigns of slander and stigmatization, and physical attacks.
In light of this situation, over 100 journalists and media outlets from Peru to India, and from Haiti to Egypt, including Rania Khalek, Carlos Aznarez, Patricia Villegas, Claudia Cisneros, Eugene Puryear, Vijay Prashad, Alina Duarte, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., among others, signed a letter to condemn this violence and demand that protesters and journalists rights be respected.
See below the letter and the signatories.
We, communicators and journalists, repudiate the brutal violence against the Peruvian people by the security forces and the disturbing attacks against journalists and photographers who seek to tell the truth about what is happening in the country.
Since December 7, when the coup d’état against constitutional president Pedro Castillo and his subsequent illegal detention took place, the Peruvian people have been in constant mobilization to demand the immediate resignation of the de facto leader, Dina Boluarte, the dissolution of Congress, the realization of a Constituent Assembly and the immediate release of Pedro Castillo.
Their just and courageous protests have been met with an extremely violent response by the security forces. To date, at least 48 Peruvian brothers and sisters have been killed with bullets, sound grenades, tear gas and pepper spray during the protests. We have seen with great concern how these flagrant violations of human rights, the right to protest, freedom of expression and the democratic state have been justified by the executive branch, the mass media and right-wing politicians.
In all this, we have not been able to depend on the narrative of the corporate media that call the protesters “vandals” “terrorists”, justifying the violence against them as sinister accomplices of the barbarism of the state. It has been the popular communicators, independent journalists and photojournalists, who take to the streets risking their physical integrity, facing extreme violence in order to communicate the truth to the world.
We are concerned about the case of Aldair Mejía, photojournalist, who was shot by a projectile while covering the demonstrations in Juliaca. He had denounced that prior to the attack, a member of the Peruvian National Police had threatened him saying “Get out of here, if not I’ll blow your head off and kill you”. In addition to him, there are many other cases of colleagues who have suffered stigmatization, accusations, violent attacks, criminalization and more in the context of their journalistic work. Journalism is not a crime!
As communicators and journalists of the world, we stand in solidarity with the brave Peruvian people and with their communicators and journalists who are facing the terrible repression of Dina Boluarte’s government.
We demand an immediate end to this repression and respect for the human rights of protesters and members of the press.
Signatories:
Journalists
Adán Ríos Parra, Revista Alforja-Espiral Guerrero., México
Aida Jabbaz, Chile
Alejandra Flores, Ukhamawa Noticias, Chile
Alina Duarte, Mexico
Alvino San José Yat, Radio Comunitaria Indígenas la Reyna, Guatemala
Ama Pratt, Pan African Television, Ghana
Ana María Islas, Mexico
Andrea Ixchíu Hernández, K’iche, Guatemala
Anfruns Alex, Belgique
Anish Radhakrishnan, Peoples Dispatch, India
Arnaldo Pérez Guerra, Liberacion.cl, Chile
Benjamín Norton, Geopolítica Económica, United States // Nicaragua
Bia Barbosa, Brazil
Brian Mier, TeleSur/Brazilwire, Brazil
Byron Javier Viteri Pólit, Coordinadora Artistas Progresistas Eloy Alfaro, Ecuador
Camila Parodi, Marcha Noticias, Argentina
Carlos Aznarez, Resumen Latinoamericano, Argentina
Carlos Berenze, Radio Universidad Nacional de La Pkata, Argentina
Catalina Evans Amador, Cofundadora de Revista Pasto Seco, Chile
Cira Pascual Marquina, Venezuelanalysis, Venezuela
Claudia Cisneros, Independiente, Perú
Danay, Cuba
Dayana López Villalobos, Independiente, Argentina
Denis Rogatyuk, El Ciudadano, Chile
Diana Almeida, Revista Crisis Ec, Ecuador
Eduardo Lohnhoff Bruno, Abya Yala Tv, Bolivia
Edurne Correa Crespo, LaHaine.org, Euskal Herria / País Vasco
Efrén Mantilla, Canal digital Hechos Ecuador, Ecuador
Elmer Raúl Ayala Hinojosa, Poder Popular @lljr_poder @ElmerAyala_PE, Perú
Eugene Puryear, Breakthrough News, United States
Fabiola Gutiérrez, Red de Periodistas y Comunicadoras Feministas de Chile , Chile
Facundo Pérez , ARG Medios, Argentina
Felipe Bianchi Dos Santos, ComunicaSul y Centro de Estudos da Mídia Alternativa Barão de Itararé, Brazil
Felipe Kohler, Revista Crisis Ec, Ecuador
Felipe Villa, Nuestro País, Chile
Fernando Barreto, Ecuador
Fernando Lopes, Brazil
Fiorella Isabel, RT International, United States
Francely Flores, Molino Informativo,
Gabriel Zas, Unimundo, Argentina
Gabriela, EnModoVioleta, Venezuela
Gerardo Szalkowicz, Nodal, Argentina
Giovani del Prete, Diplomacia dos Povos, Brazil
Gonzalo Rodrigo Muiños, Radio Gráfica, Argentina
Graciela Barahona, Independiente, Alemania
Gustavo Espinoza, Noticias Hudson Valley NY/ Revista Travesías de la Migración, United States
Héctor Díaz, Latinidades, México
Heriberto Paredes, Independiente, México
Ignacio Urrutia, Chile
Ingrid Sánchez, Peninsula 360 Press, México
Irene León, ALAI, Ecuador
Ivania Maria Carneiro Vieira, Brazil
Jackson Jean, TeleSUR, Haití
Jaime Herrera, Telesur, Perú
Jaime Soto, Chile
Javier Arjona, www.indixenas.org, España
Javier Tolcachier, Agencia Internacional de Noticias Pressenza, Argentina
Javier, Radio Residencias 96.5, Argentina
Jazmín Valdivieso, La Zurda Radio, Bolivia
Jean Waltès Bien-Aimé, Radyo Rezistans, Haití
Jennifer Mujica, Individual, Argentina
John McEvoy, Declassified UK, UK
Jose Gil Almeida, Jornal Agua Verde, Brazil
José Luis Granados Ceja, Venezuelanalysis, México
Jose Marques, Jornal da Rua XV ciudad de Curitiba, Brazil
José Robredo Hormazabal, Free lance, Chile
Julian Barbero, Tribuna Villa Maria, Argentina
Julián Pilatti, ARG Medios, Argentina
Karol E. Noroña, GK, Ecuador
Kwesi Pratt, Jnr, The Insight Newspaper, Ghana
Laura Carlsen, Independiente, Mexico
Laura Lucía Cevallos Alcázar, Sin Línea Mx, México
Laura Quispe Perez, TeleSISA, Argentina
Lautaro Rivara, ALAI, Argentina – Ecuador
Loreto Paillacar, Círculo de Periodistas, Chile
Luis De Jesús, Claridad, Puerto Rico
Luis Enrique Angio, Argentina
Luis Varese, Ecuador
Maddalena Celano, Italia
Mahmoud Elenani, Independent Film Producer, Egypt
Marcos Cariz Villanueva, Trabajadores al poder, Chile
Margarida Flávia Gonnet García, Semanario Brecha(URU) / Análisis Digital(ARG), Uruguay
Margarita Bastías Baeza, Chile
Margarita Pastene Valladares, Chile
Maria Luiza Franco Busse, Associação Brazileira de Imprensa-ABI, Brazil
Mario López M., Estapasando.cl, Chile
Marta Inostroza-Cartes, Chile
Marta Maffei, Individual, Argentina
Martha Raquel Rodrigues, Jornalistas Livres / MST, Brazil
Martín Varese, Peoples Dispatch, Nicaragua
Mauricio Leandro Osorio, Independiente, Chile
Maya Carlina Corminboeuf, Red Wiphalas/Wiphalas Network, Suiza
Midhun Puthupattu, Peoples Dispatch, India
Nancy Dentler, Theater, Deutschland
Nathalie Castillo, Diputada de la República- Periodista ex Presidenta Nacional del Colegio de Periodistas de Chile, Chile
Nelson Aramburu Soto, Comunicaciones Comando Unitario de Ex PP, Chile
Nicolas Lopez Ventura, Pueblos, Guatemala
Omar Lucas, Independiente, Perú
Oscar Gálvez, Voces de Ixumulew, Guatemala
Oscar Puebla Ortega, El Molino Informativo, Mexico
Pablo Navarrete, Alborada, UK
Pablo Ruiz, www.derechoalapaz.org, Chile
Paolo Andre Cruzalegui Sun, Los Ronderos de las Redes, United States
Patricia Villegas Marin, teleSUR, Colombia- Venezuela
Patricio Gajardo Segovia, Jubilado., Chile
Peñalva Viviana, Unimundo, Argentina
Pilar Troya, Brazil de Fato, Brazil
Prasanth Radhakrishnan, Newsclick, India
Rafael Urrejola Dittborn, Centro de Formación Memoria y Futuro, Chile
Ramiro Contreras, Nuestra Voz, Bolivia
Rania Khalek, Breakthrough News, United States
Rodrigo Acuña, Indestructible Podcast, Australia
Rody Oñate, Chile
Roger McKenzie, Morning Star, United Kingdom
Rolando Andrade Stracuzzi, Clarín, Argentina
Sandra Trafilaf, Chile
Sergio Nicanoff, Contrahegemoniaweb, Argentina
Sergio Vaudagnotto, El Diario del centro del país, Argentina
Silvia Paillan, Informe Araucania, Chile
Susana Capriles Rojas, La Voz de Paine, Chile
Tanupriya Singh, Peoples Dispatch, India
Tanya Wadhwa, Peoples Dispatch, India
Teresa Marin, Adultos Mayores Frente de Todos Olavarría, Argentina
Vijay Prashad, Globetrotter,
Vivian Neves Fernandes, Brazil
Vyshakh Thaliyil, Peoples Dispatch, India
Yoselina Guevara, Info al Desnudo, Venezuela ( Italia)
Zoe Alexandra, Peoples Dispatch, United States
Media Outlets
Agencia Internacional de Noticias Pressenza
ALAI
ARG Medios, Argentina
Barricada TV, Argentina
Boletín Américas, Mexico
Brasil de Fato
Breakthrough News, United States
Centro de Estudos da Mídia Alternativa Barão de Itararé, Brasil
Clarín, Chile
Colombia Informa
ComunicaSul, Brasil
Consejo Metropolitano del Colegio de Periodistas, Chile
Contra Hegemonia Web, Argentina
Coordinador Nacional Agrario (CNA), Colombia
Correo del Alba
El Ciudadano, Chile
El Molino Informativo, Mexico
Hora do Povo, Brasil
Iniciativa Direito a Memória e Justiça Racial, Brasil
Ivira Noticias Argentina
Jornal Agua Verde, Brasil
Jornal da Rua XV ciudad de Curitiba, Brasil
Jornalistas Livres, Brasil
Kawsachun News, Bolivia
La Haine, España
La Voz de Paine, Chile
Liberación, Chile
Liberation News, United States
Noticias Hudson Valley NY, United States
Pan African Television, Ghana
Radyo Rezistans, Haiti
Red de Periodistas y Comunicadoras Feministas de Chile
Red Eco Alternativo, Argentina
Resumen Latinoamericano
Revista Crisis Ec
Tatuy Televisión Comunistaria, Venezuela
TeleSISA
The Insight Newspaper, Ghana
Trazos de Nuestra Identidad, Ecuador
Tribuna Villa Maria, Argentina
Unimundo
Venezuela Analysis
Voz en Fuga, Chile