Peru: Murder of journalist Sonia Alvarado highlights the threats women journalists face in the Latin American region

December 11, 2019 – The Coalition For Women In Journalism is devastated to learn about the murder of Peruvian journalist Sonia Isabel Alvarado Huayunga. We urge the Peruvian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the killing and ensure the provision of justice to Sonia and her family. 

Sonia went missing on December 7. Her body was found buried in a ditch with visible signs of blows and strangulation two days later in Carabanchel, Datem del Marañón a province in northeastern Peru. The 28-year-old journalist was an announcer at Radio Láser and also worked in the public relations department of Datem del Marañón’s municipality.

According to investigations so far, Sonia’s ex-husband Felipe Cáceres Rodríguez is the chief suspect and has been arrested by the police. Reports suggest that the suspect had quarreled with our colleague and had also threatened her multiple times. We demand local authorities to conduct an in-depth inquiry and get to the depths of matter by all means.

As per reports by local media, Sonia had been probing into illegal logging in the region and her ex-husband is known to be allegedly involved in the crime. The Loreto region, where our colleague was based, is notorious for drug trafficking, corruption and illegal logging. According to the staff at Radio Láser, Sonia was keen to help eliminate these issues in the region.

Sonia’s murder is not as simple as it appears to be. There is definitely a lot more to it that requires comprehensive probing. 

Journalists, especially women journalists, often sacrifice their comfort and lives to uphold the value of press freedom. The Latin American region is infamous for its treatment of journalists and several have been killed in the line of duty. Our colleague, too, may have lost her life while performing her job. 

We demand investigators consider every little detail regarding our colleague’s killing and bring the culprit to justice. 

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The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ

Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org