Peru: Swift Actions Necessary To Find Missing Journalist Daysi Huamán
Location: Peru, Ayacucho
Date: March 21, 2020
It has been 56 days since journalist Daysi Lizeth Mina Huamán went missing. As per news reports, she has not been seen or heard since January 26. The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands Peruvian authorities to conduct an in-depth inquiry into Daysi’s disappearance and locate her whereabouts as soon as possible.
Before she went missing, 21-year-old Daysi worked as a reporter for Cable VRAEM in Ayacucho, a central city in Peru. She covered news related to the development of the Congress of the Republic’s electoral process in the complementary elections in district Santa Rosa.
According to local media, Daysi’s ID was found thrown on the highway in the La Mar district eight days after her family complained about her disappearance. Daysi’s family has been looking for her but has found no traces so far. She was last reported leaving from the Santa Rosa district and was bound for Ayna district’s Carmen Pampa population centre. However, Daysi’s relatives said that she never made it to the venue and had been missing ever since. She was supposed to meet her partner Noé Daniel Laura Taipe.
The circumstances in which Daysi has gone missing seem murky. The fact that she had not returned for the past 56 days is extremely concerning. Considering the growing number of femicides in Peru, one cannot overlook the fact that Daysi could also be at a risk of being threatened for her life.
Her relatives have lamented about the lack of seriousness by local police. They said that the police officers of the Santa Rosa Police Station and the Divincri of the Kimbiri district have been negligent towards solving Daysi’s case. They have delayed actions even after an official complaint. The police have not even managed to check the house where she was supposed to meet her partner. The family fears kidnapping or femicide.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism urges Peruvian authorities, especially its local police, to conduct a thorough investigation and find Daysi immediately. It is the state’s responsibility to ensure the safety and security of its citizens. Whether Daysi’s disappearance is linked with her work must be taken into consideration and speedy efforts to locate her whereabouts must be prioritized by all means.
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
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