Independence Day - Detained

Hola amigos y amigas,

Here is a little light reading for you on a Sunday morning to enjoy with your beverage of choice. Mine might be a little stronger than usual while I write it.

I have recently been getting a firsthand view of how an authoritarian regime operates and takes hold. In the last post, I mentioned that protests had returned. This was the result of the president and Congress stating they were staying on and would not hold elections until 2026 after promising that they would be held this coming April. They have been changing laws in recent months to work in their favor and to consolidate their power now that it is back in the hands of the political right.

The protests have been relatively small compared to those that took place earlier in the year. Although many people are unhappy with the situation and want to protest, they are afraid. Police have been going to the community leaders and threatening them and their families. They are warning them of a varying degree of consequences if they encourage their community members or if they themselves take place in more protests. I have been told stories of police even going to schools and intimidating the children of the community leaders. The fear was evident in the faces of the people I spoke with.

In the lead-up to the planned demonstrations and to Peru’s Independence Day on July 28th, military parades, and police gatherings were being held throughout the country. They were the largest that people can remember. They were similar to those you see in Russia or North Korea where they flex their authoritarian muscle to show their strength.

When the protests started on July 19th, it was immediately evident that journalists were the target of the authorities. In that time, five photojournalists have been shot with pellets. The police say they do not use pellets, that they only use rubber bullets. They also claim that any pellets that have been used have been the result of protesters infiltrating the police lines and firing back at the protesters with lead pellets and marbles. These are what have killed approximately 70 people so far since I have been here.

Photojournalists are being prevented from documenting the events and are being arbitrarily arrested. Several have had their equipment confiscated and it has been confirmed that two have been badly beaten by the police and are not being permitted to speak with a lawyer. Police are being accused of falsifying the events by witnesses.

On Peru’s Independence Day, July 28th, I attended some of the celebrations taking place on the streets, then I went to Tupac Amaru Square. This is where protesters often gather to commence their marches. When I arrived at the square it was full of police standing in formation. They had been doing this over the past week in an effort to take over the square from the protesters.

Tupac Amaru is extremely important and significant to the indigenous people of Peru. He was a rebellion leader and one of the last to hold out against the Spanish invaders in the 1500s. The square is named after him and a statue of him sits in the middle. Not coincidentally, the square is flanked on opposing sides by two of the largest police stations in Cusco.

This juxtaposition of the police standing in formation around the statue caught my eye and was relatable to my project, so I took a photo. It would be the only photo I made that day. After I made the photo, a colleague and friend approached and gave me a heads-up that police were going around and checking the identification of all the journalists there. I realized that I didn’t have my passport with me, just my press ID and my Canadian DL.

Police positioned below a statue of Tupac Amaru. The photo I would be detained for making.

Things were calm and little was happening. There were only a handful of protesters present and were largely outnumbered by the police. So I went and sat down off to the side and replied to some messages on my phone. It was then I was approached by a few police officers and asked for my identification. I told them I didn’t have my passport on me but I had the number and a photo of it on my phone.

They began grilling me and making calls to the immigration office. My visa situation is still not resolved, although I have verbally been told that there is no problem and that I will receive it as soon as the paperwork is completed. Although I was doing nothing wrong, this was their excuse to detain me and they told me I had to go with them.

I immediately tried to phone my lawyer and was having difficulty getting through. The police tried to take me away and I was refusing to go. The other photojournalists present along with some of the protesters gathered around and were demanding my release. I was finally able to get through to my lawyer and put him on the phone with the head police officer.

My lawyer explained to him the status of my visa and that I was doing nothing wrong. We agreed that I would go across the street and would receive a citation for not having my passport with me. I was unaware that they can hold a person without cause for 24 hours if you do not have your passport on you, so this was a compromise. I would return to the police station on Monday morning with my passport and lawyer and it would be resolved. No problem, so I agreed to go across the street with them.

As soon as they had me away from the other people they ushered me into a car with four police officers and took me away. I had no idea where they were taking me and tried to call my lawyer with no success. I immediately sent messages to as many people as possible from my recent list letting them know I had been detained. I knew what had happened to other photojournalists and wanted people to know where I was just in case there was radio silence from me.

At the same time, I was trying to keep track of the streets and where they were taking me. It was on the other side of the city but I had a general idea of my location. Once at the police station, they took my phone away and began interrogating me. I played the dumb gringo card which is rather easy for me and just kept dodging as many of their questions as possible.

They fingerprinted me and wrote a report that I was unable to read. They wanted to see the photos on my phone but would not unlock it. There were several officers and me in the little room as they continued asking questions. They said I had to sign the citation and the report before I would be released. I signed the citation but wanted to photograph the report and send it to my lawyer. They would not permit it, saying my lawyer would get a copy of it on Monday. I said I needed to translate it by photographing it. Again they would permit it.

Eventually, I agreed to sign it so I could get my phone back and get out of there. I would deal with the consequences later. I still don’t know what I signed and am preparing myself for the meeting on Monday morning. I am pretty sure they want to try to deport me. Even if they are not able to do that, they at least want to intimidate me and other journalists. They told me I am not allowed to photograph police or protests.

I have received plenty of support from colleagues and from the association of journalists here in Peru. They have offered to assist with their human rights lawyers if needed. It should be fine but they are becoming more and more authoritarian, so it is difficult to tell at the moment. I will see how things go in the meeting on Monday morning.

Although I am a bit rattled and a little worn out, these intimidation tactics and the injustices I have witnessed are only feeding my fire and fuelling my resolve. It reminded me of what a retired military officer said to me after I had been receiving death threats in February, he said “Well, you won’t have a problem as long as you are on the right side.” That authoritarian mentality does not sit well with me.

This is going to be more of a marathon than the sprint I first expected. I have not accomplished what I came here for and there is still work to be done. It will depend on my ability to return to Peru after my visit to Canada in the autumn. I am tired and in need of a break to replenish my reserves for the second half of this project. It will be good to be home and to see as many of you as possible.

Salududos,

Miguel