Peru Begins 2026 Amidst Brutal Reality: Four Journalists Murdered in 2025

Violence against the press in Peru reached a critical and unprecedented peak in 2025, with the murder of four journalists whose cases, according to leading advocacy organizations, follow a troubling pattern of targeted attacks linked to their journalistic work in various regions. This violence occurs amidst a backdrop of apparent state inaction and a justice system that progresses slowly towards addressing impunity.

The year ended on a tragic note with the confirmation, on December 26, of the death of journalist Mitzar Castillejos Tenazoa, host of an information program in Aguaytía, Ucayali region.

Castillejos was shot on December 13 by assassins while heading to work. After battling for fourteen days for his life, first in Tingo María and then at the Hospital María Auxiliadora in Lima, his death raised the number of colleagues murdered in the line of duty to four for the recently concluded year.

Renzo Chávez, secretary general of the National Association of Journalists (ANP), emphasized that instances of violence against the press have dramatically increased.

“Journalistic activity in Peru is deteriorating,” he noted in an interview with Latina Noticias. He stressed that these crimes serve as a wake-up call for society and authorities alike.

“We are being overwhelmed by an alarming reality that demands action,” he declared, according to Caretas.pe.

Contract Killings

The four murdered journalists share a clear profile: all were active in their regions and engaged in critical coverage of local corruption and power dynamics. Their deaths, carried out by hired assassins, eliminate the possibilities of robbery or random incidents, indicating these were indeed contract killings, according to analysis by industry groups.

Gastón Medina Sotomayor, owner and director of Cadena Sur TV in Ica, was shot in front of his home on January 20, 2025. Prior to his death, he had been investigating the Regional Government and Municipality of Ica. He became the first victim of such crimes since 2017.

Raúl Celis López, a well-known broadcaster at Karibeña radio in Iquitos, was killed on May 7 after two individuals on a motorcycle fired three shots at him while he was on his way to work.

Fernando Núñez Guevara, founder and director of the news portal Kamila TV in La Libertad, was gunned down in an attack on December 6 while returning home on a motorcycle with his brother, David Núñez, who suffered serious injuries. Through his digital medium, Núñez Guevara had reported citizen complaints and criticisms of local authorities.

Investigations into Núñez’s case uncovered a criminal network. According to the police, the murder was coordinated from El Milagro prison in Trujillo by an inmate identified as Jorge “Bolas,” who is serving time for extortion. A map of the attack was discovered in his cell.

The payment for the crime was reportedly 4,000 soles (approximately $1,200), and the investigation into the case is still ongoing to determine who ordered the assassination of the journalist.

Mitzar Castillejos Tenazoa, a host of an information program in Aguaytía, Ucayali, was shot on December 13.

Zuliana Lainez, president of the ANP, pointed out the common pattern: “In none of the cases was there evidence of vehicle theft or personal belongings taken. Everything indicates that the motive is directly related to their journalistic work.”

Threats and Intimidation: The Cost of Investigating

Beyond the murders, a pervasive climate of intimidation exists. In Madre de Dios, journalist Manuel Calloquispe Flores, with 20 years of experience, lives confined to his home and has ceased working due to constant threats related to his investigations into illegal mining in La Pampa.

According to a report by Concoca.pe, on August 28, 2025, he received a direct threat from Edison Fernández Pérez, alias “Chili,” leader of the “Guardians of La Trocha”:

“Not a single report more about La Pampa… If I can’t find you, I’ll go after your family.” Then, on November 17, an informant warned him: “Mr. Manuel… they want to kidnap you and take you to La Pampa… They have offered 40,000 soles for you.”

“They have won; I can’t work,” Manuel reported. Faced with the risk of death, he pleaded: “I shouldn’t be here; I need to leave the country. I have the truth in front of me, and it’s not just any criminal, [Edison Fernández Pérez, alias ‘Chili’] is a kingpin with over 50 murders.”

In Lima, violence takes on different forms. Karla Ramírez, head of the Investigation Unit of the Panorama program, told the cited outlet that “the past year has been the one with the most attacks I have received throughout my career.”

She stated that after investigations involving the Interior sector and high-ranking police officials related to the El Dorado mine case in Ancash, she suffered intimidation that included what she described as an attack disguised as a common robbery.

On August 31, 2025, she publicly held Juan José Santiváñez (then Minister of Justice) and Nicanor Boluarte, brother of former president Dina Boluarte, accountable for a supposed plan against her.

“They never denied the information; they only attempted to intimidate,” she noted.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Ramírez laments the lack of action from the state.

“The Ombudsman’s Office never reached out, never called, never asked what was happening.” However, she made it clear that she would not take a step back, stating that if we stop investigating out of fear, then corruption has already won.

“The DNA of journalism is to investigate power, even when doing so carries personal costs,” she asserted.

Adriana León, director of Information Freedoms at the Press and Society Institute (IPYS), corroborated this dynamic. “The attacks are no longer isolated incidents. They operate as an articulated system,” she stated.

International Alarm

The situation has raised global alarms. Artur Romeu, director for Latin America of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), explained to Convoca that 2025 marked “an unprecedented event in Peru’s recent history.”

“The situation is alarming, and few countries in the region have experienced such a rapid and profound regression in such a short time,” he stated.

According to Romeu, “the government must protect journalists, ensure transparency, and recognize their work instead of stigmatizing it.”

Meanwhile, Cristina Zahar, coordinator for Latin America at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), warned of the consequences of impunity: “When those who orchestrate attacks are neither investigated nor sanctioned, the message is that attacking the press carries no consequences.”

The data supports the diagnosis: Peru has dropped 53 positions in the World Press Freedom Index by RSF over the past three years, with deterioration across all indicators.

Absentee State and Risk of Self-Censorship

For social organizations, the state response has been inadequate. The protection mechanism for human rights defenders lacks budget and operational capacity. Investigations proceed slowly and rarely identify the intellectual authors of crimes.

“In Peru, the message is devastating: a journalist is killed and nothing happens,” summarized Zuliana Lainez.

“The state has the obligation to protect journalists, but it is failing to do so,” asserts Adriana León from IPYS.

This scenario has generated what is known as “informational deserts,” areas where journalists choose not to investigate or stop publishing sensitive information out of fear.

“The primary effect of this violence is self-censorship,” León warned. With the onset of the electoral contest, concern grows, as campaigns usually intensify attacks against journalists who investigate illicit financing and corruption.

As Peru enters 2026, the grim tally is clear: four silenced voices, a profession under siege, and a democracy whose right to information is in jeopardy. Today’s impunity is the threat of tomorrow.

La entrada Peru Begins 2026 Amidst Brutal Reality: Four Journalists Murdered in 2025 se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.