In celebration of the 77th anniversary of the Professional School of Social Communication of the San Marcos Universityits director, José Ventocilla, highlighted the investigative work in search of truth and justice that has been carried out by the Journalist Angel Paez Salcedo since 1990.
“Angel Paez is a prominent journalist who has dedicated his life to revealing truths that many would prefer to keep hidden. As founder and head of the Research Unit of the newspaper La República Since 1990, he has been the architect of important journalistic denunciations in the country, consolidating an elite investigative team,” said Ventocilla.
He also highlighted his commitment to the truth. He mentioned that his journalistic ethics have been unwavering and have shown that with rigor and courage, journalism can be a tool to strengthen democracy. He recalled that the former student of San Marcos witnessed complex times such as those experienced during the regime of Alberto Fujimori and Vladimiro Montesinos, where his investigative work was fundamental to uncovering events that marked the political life of the country.
“Today we are honored by his presence and he will share with us his experiences as a student at San Marcos and the challenges of practicing journalism that is courageous and committed to the truth,” said José Ventocilla before presenting Páez Salcedo with a commemorative plaque and a diploma. The journalist also received a gift from the Communication students.
In an auditorium packed with students and teachers, Angel Paez He thanked the School of Communication and the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences for the recognition granted.
“For me, as a journalist trained at this university, in this classroom, in this environment, it means a lot. For me, it is like a kind of award, a distinction very similar to a Pulitzer, because the Pulitzer prizes are for those journalists who dedicate a lot of time, a lot of energy and a lot of passion to work that has the purpose of uncovering facts that are kept hidden, and I can tell you that it is not very easy. But it also represents a challenge for the person speaking to you, because I have had a kind of commitment to the university in my conscience to be able to share all the experience that I have lived contributing to the training of students and developing journalism that bears the seal of a San Marcos student,” said Páez.
He Director of the Investigation Unit of the newspaper La República He recalled the influence and teachings of his teachers, including César Lévano and José Paz, and expressed his desire to return to San Marcos as a teacher to share his experience with the new generations.
“This is a permanent and systematic work that is very demanding, because what readers see is what is discovered, what is revealed, what is uncovered, what was hidden from them, what they were being denied knowledge of. If there is something that characterizes investigative journalism, it is revealing hidden facts, information of public interest, and the public interest is the right that citizens have to information that will influence their decisions,” he explained.
He also referred to his encounters with some professors from the 1980s and acknowledged that their teachings still influence and guide the journalistic decisions he makes today.
Finally, he highlighted the academic environment that exists in the San Marcos University where there are excellent teachers who transmit qualities in the training of students, and there is an exchange of experiences that is not seen elsewhere.
“I recommend that students approach San Marcos professionals who are currently working on very important platforms. Before, the dream was to join a traditional media outlet, but now that has changed. Now, the dream is to have their own platform, to have a news program on YouTube, to have a weekly on Facebook or any other platform,” was his approach to the students, who then had the opportunity to ask him many questions about the profession.
