Event Summary
In recent weeks, several incidents in Peru have raised serious concerns about press freedom and the safety of journalists. On 8 July 2025, Gudelia Gálvez Tafur, director of the news portal Huaraznoticias.com, reported receiving death threats via WhatsApp after covering alleged irregularities in public works. When she went to the DEPINCRI police station in Huaraz to file a complaint, officers reportedly refused to register it, claiming that no crime had yet been committed. The National Association of Journalists of Peru (ANP) criticized the police response, and the International Federation of Journalists expressed its support for the journalist.
In another case, Juan José Santibáñez, former Minister of the Interior and current official at the Presidential Office, filed a complaint for alleged surveillance (reglaje) against journalists Mónica Delta, Juan Subauste, Carlos Hidalgo, and Jorge Ramírez, as well as the television network Latina TV. The complaint followed a news report documenting the official’s meetings in public spaces. The National Association of Journalists of Peru (ANP) called on the Public Prosecutor’s Office to dismiss the complaint due to a lack of legal basis, warning that it could be seen as an attempt to intimidate the press. The ANP also emphasized that this case presents an opportunity to strengthen the protection of freedom of expression.
On 18 July 2025, the Municipality of Lima issued a public statement accusing the newspaper La República of sabotage against the metropolitan train system, following the publication of an investigative report that exposed the age and poor condition of the railcars and locomotives purchased by the city. Grecia Infante, the journalist who authored the report, received death threats, experienced hacking attempts on her social media accounts, and faced pressure on her family to stop her coverage. The Press and Society Institute (IPYS) reported that supporters of Mayor Rafael López Aliaga went to the newspaper’s headquarters to shout insults and deface the building with graffiti.