The investigative journalist, Ivan Escudero, whose mother was kidnapped on Thursday nightspoke to La República and said that the objective of this criminal act was to intimidate him for his journalistic work, since he had already received threats. Despite this, he stressed that he will not stop investigating people like Vladimir Cerrón.
– Have you already received threats?
In fact, a couple of weeks ago this became public knowledge. What happened is that a subject arrived at the building where I live to leave a manila envelope inside we found two photographs, a photograph of me, leaving the channel. It is part of a surveillance that was carried out on me at the time. We do not know if that surveillance is still ongoing. The second photo of a direct relative. An envelope that did not have any kind of message, the person who left it, a person who never identified himself. That was a first warning to understand that there was at least someone who was trying to give us a clear message and it was to tell us: we have you under surveillance. We know where you live. We know who your environment is. The program took certain security measures of the term, but obviously we could not stop working and the days continued and the investigations continued as we always do.
What happened yesterday was obviously a turning point, since it breaks any sense of logic of free journalism, and it is that of a direct relative. In this case, my mother was intercepted in the city of Ancash, when she was leaving a friend’s house. She was violently put in a vehicle and taken kilometers away so that she could be dropped off at the exit of the city of Huaraz and on the way, on this journey they make, these subjects accompanied with phrases like: “tell your son to shut up, tell your son to stop talking. This is just a first warning. If he doesn’t shut up, it will be worse.”
Obviously, that is an open message. It is an open violation of freedom of the press. It is a direct attack, an affront to journalism because it was a direct message to me. After this situation, all the protocols have been activated that I believe every Peruvian in their integrity should have. Various steps have already been taken to try to identify the route. To find out the true motivations for doing what they did yesterday.
Have they been able to see the security cameras in your building to identify the person who left the Manila envelope?
Yes, and the cameras are the ones that were able to identify that a subject entered and I understand that those videos are also part of an investigation into his path. And well, now that this has happened, obviously I understand that if the relevant authority believes so, they will join in.
They will determine if there is a direct relationship, if these are isolated incidents. I believe that it is part of the same action, no, and that it is obviously a criminal response to the investigations that I do and that we do at Panorama.
Have you been written to by the Ministry of the Interior or any representative directly to express their support?
Well no, I have not had any communication, I think that I do not see it as necessary. What has happened and this is what it means is that the police have activated all the mechanisms. I understand that there are specialized units that are working on this issue. I understand that there are units in the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Two prosecutors’ offices in charge of the investigation, one is a criminal prosecutor’s office and one is a human rights prosecutor’s office. They are activating all the measures. I understand that there is a special police team working in the area, it has been since yesterday. I understand that during the early morning, even this police team has been working. They have managed to find the place where my mother was released and where she was left, right now they are looking for the security cameras in the area so that they can determine. They can reach a good port and the good port will be the identification of these effects.
It would be good, I personally think, if someone from the MININTER could contact you to find out that you reject these attacks against a journalist and the media in general…
Well, what happened yesterday is a mirror of what I hope never happens again in our country. As a profession, as journalists, we cannot leave the door open to being violated in the same way that we were violated yesterday. Free journalism cannot under any circumstances tolerate the actions that were denounced yesterday. Free journalism cannot under any circumstances be subjected to any form of coercion, extortion, depression or intimidation in a society in a free country in a democratic country.
That cannot happen in that line, eh, yes, I have received communications from the Ministry of Justice, so that the protection measures that will be given at the time can be processed. I have also received communication from the Public Prosecutor’s Office… eh, the prosecutors who are doing the work, mentioning that the investigation will take place. I also hope that this can take place immediately.
The Ministry of the Interior speaks out on the kidnapping of journalist Iván Escudero’s family. Photo: Ministry of the Interior
Ivan, after these threats and attacks, are you going to continue investigating people like Vladimir Cerrón?
Investigations will always continue. As a journalist, you know that without this justifying your actions, you know that a journalist has no enemies. A journalist does not practice journalism with the objective of harming someone or because you have met someone or because I don’t like someone, I am going to investigate you. No, free journalism does not do that, but we also know that we are vulnerable to people who may be journalistically investigable, who may at some point take certain criminal actions against the person in that line.
My main concern is that my family is protected. I have already taken the necessary measures so that my closest circle has the necessary protection and that the investigations continue as the information reaches us is of course also in accordance with the information that we receive. If there is information and it is corroborated, the investigations will always continue. Of course, my work as a journalist will not and will not cease. The voice of a journalist, especially when there are violations such as those that have occurred, can never be silenced. In this regard, Panorama has faced various situations for more than 40 years, journalists who have passed through this house. Because of this program, journalists have faced very complicated moments. I am not the first, I would like to be the last but possibly I will not be. In this regard, I believe that the profession, as has been demonstrated on this occasion and has been done before, must show that unity of which we should always feel proud, regardless of the medium in which we work.
I guess the channel has also taken measures…
Yes, the channel took the necessary measures and so did the program. Of course, I have the support not only for my investigation but also for my work. There is also emotional support and support from the family. We will continue with the work, but undoubtedly looking after the integrity of those we love, our loved ones first.
