The journalist Mitzar Bato Castillejos Tenazoa He died this Friday after spending two weeks hospitalized in Tingo MariaHuánuco, as a result of the injuries received during an attack perpetrated by hitmen on December 12 in Aguaytía. The communicator known for hosting programs in Radio Latin Plus 107.7 FM and direct the portal Bato to inform you Newsbecame the fourth fatal victim of violence against the Peruvian press so far in 2025.
The National Association of Journalists of Peru (ANP) confirmed his death and issued a statement expressing condolences to the correspondent’s family. Along these lines, he demanded that the competent authorities carry out an exhaustive investigation to identify both the material and intellectual authors of the crime. The union warned about the worrying increase in attacks against journalists in regions of the country where exercising the right to inform represents a lethal risk.
Attack occurred in broad daylight
The attack occurred on December 12 at approximately noon, when Castillejos Tenazoa He was leaving his home heading to his workplace. Two individuals traveling on a motorcycle intercepted the journalist and shot him five times, hitting him with three bullets in the abdomen, causing multiple fractures and serious injuries.
After the attack, neighbors and emergency personnel provided immediate assistance to the communicator, who was rushed to the hospital. Tingo Maria Hospital to receive specialized care. The hitmen quickly left the place after carrying out the attack, generating commotion among the inhabitants of Aguaytía who witnessed the brutality of the event.
Violence against journalists continues to increase
The case of Mitzar Castillejos joins an alarming list of journalists murdered in violent circumstances during the year. Gastón Medina in Ica, Raúl Celis in Iquitos and Fernando Núñez Guevara in Pacasmayo were executed in attacks that share similar characteristics: public criticism of authorities, allegations of corruption and executions carried out with extreme violence.
The murder of Nunez Guevarawhich occurred just a week before the attack against Castillejos, was recorded on security cameras while the director of Kamila News He was intercepted and executed at point-blank range by alleged hitmen. This pattern shows a systematic silencing strategy against the regional press that denounces irregularities of local power.
For this reason, the ANP sued the National Police of Peru and the Public Ministry to develop serious, diligent and transparent investigations that allow the criminal networks behind these murders to be dismantled. The union emphasized that impunity fuels violence and warned that without concrete state protection measures, journalism in regions like Ucayali will continue to be an activity with a high deadly risk.
