Peru: IAPA appalled at murder of radio journalist

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MIAMI, Florida (November 29, 2016)—The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) today condemned the murder of Peruvian radio journalist Hernán David Choquepata Ordóñez, killed as he was hosting his opinion program, and called on the authorities to speedily determine the motives so as to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.


Choquepata Ordóñez, known as Randy Ordónez, was at the La Ribereña radio station on November 20 broadcasting live his political program titled "Habla el pueblo" (The People Speaks) when unidentified persons entered the place, fired one shot and destroyed the radio station's equipment, but nothing was stolen, according to local media.


The journalist, 45, died later from his wounds in the attack at the radio station, located in Camaná city, Arequipa province. The National Journalists Association and the Camaná Journalists Federated Center urged the authorities to look into the possible motive for the murder, considering that it could have been in retaliation for his criticisms of provincial officials.


IAPA President Matt Sanders, of Deseret Digital Media, Salt Lake City, Utah, offered his condolences to the journalist's family and colleagues and added that "a timely and in-depth investigation that determines who was responsible is the best tool against impunity and self-censorship."


For his part Roberto Rock, of La Silla Rota, Mexico City, Mexico, chairman of the IAPA's Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, reminded the Peruvian authorities of the government's duty to investigate speedily and severely punish these crimes. He added, "In the IAPA we are monitoring this scourge of violence against journalists which every day underscores the danger that today signifies the practice of journalism in our hemisphere."


IAPA statistics show that so far this year there have been 23 murders of journalists in the following countries: Mexico (12), Brazil (4), Guatemala (3), El Salvador, Peru, United States and Venezuela (1 each).


The IAPA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the defense and promotion of freedom of the press and of expression in the Americas. It is made up of more than 1,300 publications from throughout the Western Hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida.

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