Opposition lawmakers are demanding answers from the government after journalist Susy Aponte was shot dead in northern Peru.
Peru’s opposition is seeking the censure of Interior Minister César Astudillo following the killing of journalist Susy Aponte, who was shot in the head at a market in the northern city of Caraz on Sept. 19.
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The progressive Juntos por el Perú (JP) parliamentary group said it would seek the support needed to advance the censure motion. Its spokesperson, Ernesto Zunini, said the move was prompted by concerns over the state’s response to the killing and the lack of answers surrounding the case.
“Our democracy cannot become accustomed to the idea that reporting crime is equivalent to signing a death sentence,” Zunini said.
Aponte, 44, had recorded a video in which she reported receiving warnings about an alleged order for her assassination. The order was purportedly linked to police General Víctor Revoredo.
Following the allegations, Revoredo was removed as head of the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Directorate and reassigned to mutual cooperation duties with foreign police agencies.
Zunini criticized the lack of state protection for Aponte and questioned whether Revoredo’s reassignment had clarified the circumstances surrounding her death, saying it “does not clarify responsibilities or explain what went wrong.”
Opposition demands answers
Other opposition groups have also condemned the killing and called for explanations from the government. The Partido del Buen Gobierno, led by former Defense Minister Jorge Nieto and part of an alliance with JP and Ahora Nación, said the lack of official answers was increasing public fear and distrust.
“The country demands truth, and it demands it quickly. The interior minister should already be giving explanations,” the party said, arguing that the lack of an institutional response was an affront to society.
The group also called on the government to address questions over whether the killing was connected to organized crime, whether an order had been issued by a senior police officer and whether Aponte was killed to silence reports of corruption within the police.
Lawmakers from Ahora Nación also condemned the killing and warned President Keiko Fujimori that the country was heading “toward barbarism” and that the government could no longer make excuses.
In their statement, the party’s senators and lawmakers called for action against corruption networks that, they said, allow crime to advance, including through the possible involvement of people who use political and police positions as a cover to undermine public security.
The opposition demands come as questions remain over the circumstances surrounding Aponte’s killing and the authorities’ response to the warnings she had reported receiving.
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