Peruvian Newspaper Diario Correo Highlights Deforestation, Corruption, and Alleged Assassination Plot

The front page of the Peruvian newspaper Diario Correo on April 25, 2024, features headline stories covering a range of current events and issues affecting the country. The top stories focus on the alarming spike in deforestation in the buffer zone of the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, a criminal investigation into prominent journalist Gustavo Gorriti, and the arrest of an alleged Iranian Quds Force member in connection with a plot to kill two Israelis living in Peru.

According to the report, between 2001 and 2023, 19,978 hectares of forest were lost in the buffer zone of the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve, which is home to the ancestral lands of the Indigenous Harakbut, Yine and Matsiguenka peoples. The deforestation is driven by several factors, including illegal mining, coca cultivation, creation of landing strips, and new road developments. Indigenous leaders have urged the Peruvian Congress to reject a bill that would declare the proposed extension of the Nuevo Edén–Boca Manú highway as being of national interest, arguing that it would violate their collective rights and ignore their vision for sustainable development.

Why this matters: The deforestation in the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve buffer zone threatens the ancestral lands and way of life of Indigenous communities. The lack of effective state surveillance and control actions to address the threats in the buffer zone raises concerns about the potential spread of deforestation inside the reserve itself.

In another headline story, Gustavo Gorriti, a prominent Peruvian investigative journalist, has been named the subject of a criminal investigation related to claims that he traded media support to government lawyers for leaks about Operation Car Wash, a multinational corruption probe. Advocates for press freedom argue that the allegations distort the ordinary and constitutionally protected practice of investigative journalism and that the investigation threatens independent media in Peru. Gorriti denies any wrongdoing and refuses to hand over information that could compromise his anonymous sources.

The newspaper also reports on the arrest of an Iranian man, Majid Azizi, and two Peruvian men, Walter Loja and Ángelo Trucios, in connection with an alleged plot to kill two Israeli citizens living in Peru. Azizi is suspected of being a member of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, responsible for intelligence work outside Iran. Prosecutors have found evidence that Azizi conspired with the two Peruvians to plan the killings of Shachar Malka and Gilad Duchovny. A Peruvian judge has ordered 18 months of preventative detention for the three men while they are investigated.

The Israeli embassy in Lima thanked the Peruvian authorities for "having dismantled an Iranian attack that was directed against an Israeli citizen." This marks the first time Peruvian authorities have announced the arrest of an alleged member of the Quds Force. The motive for the alleged assassination plot remains unclear, but Peruvian authorities were alerted about Azizi by foreign intelligence offices.

Key Takeaways

• Deforestation threatens Amarakaeri Reserve, home to Indigenous communities.
• Prominent journalist Gustavo Gorriti faces criminal investigation over media leaks.
• Iranian, 2 Peruvians arrested for alleged plot to kill 2 Israelis in Peru.
• Alleged Iranian Quds Force member Majid Azizi among those arrested.
• Peruvian judge orders 18 months of preventative detention for the 3 men.