Peru: Former Minister Daniel Urresti Sentenced for the 1998 Murder of Journalist Hugo Bustios

A former minister in Peru, Daniel Urresti, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for the 1988 murder of Hugo Bustios. He was a journalist who was investigating human rights abuses at the time.

Urresti, a former interior minister, was a military intelligence officer in the army when the 1988 murder occurred. The court ruled that he took part in the ambush and murder of Bustios, according to BBC News.

The court ruled that a total of six members of the military had been involved in the journalist's killing, with Urresti participating in the plot.

Lawyers for Urresti said that they would appeal the verdict against their client.

He served as Peru's interior minister from 2014 to 2015. He also dropped out of two presidential races before the final stages and was close to being elected mayor of Lima.

The slain journalist's daughter, Sharmeli, welcomed the ruling. She said that 34 years has passed since the murder of her father, adding that they finally got the justice that had been denied to them.

Daniel Urresti's Sentencing

Peru's Judge Juan Santillan issued the sentence in Lima, with prosecutors requesting 25 years of imprisonment. The judge only sentenced the former interior minister to 12 years.

The prosecution was satisfied with the decision despite the sentence being lower than what they asked for.

Associated Press News reported that the National Association of Journalists said in statements on social media that the verdict was compensation for the family of the murdered journalist and for journalism.

The group said that it was an "important step towards justice and the defense of press freedom in Peru."

Urresti served under the administration of President Ollanta Humala. He earned a reputation for being outspoken and taking a hard opposition against crime.

In the years 2020 to 2021, he served in Peru's Congress.

His sentencing came after a second trial after he was cleared of any involvement in the murder in 2018. However, the Supreme Court of Peru overturned the ruling and ordered a new trial on the grounds of the process being full of errors.

Journalist Hugo Bustios Murder

Witnesses noted that Bustios was on a motorcycle with his colleague Eduardo Rojas Arce when they were attacked by the military.

Bustios identified himself as a journalist and asked not to be shot. However, they put a grenade or dynamite on the journalist, as reported by El Comercio.

Other military members involved in the murder of Bustios were former soldiers Victor Fernando La Vera Hernandez and Amador Armando Vidal Sanbento, who was serving at the base.

The two were convicted as perpetrators of the killing.

Judges also ruled that Bustios' murder had been premeditated.

On the other hand, Rojas, who was with Bustios at the time, was hit but managed to escape.

Witnesses noted that the military members were in plain clothes when they placed explosives on Bustios and then detonated them, which killed the journalist instantly.

Bustios was reporting for a weekly magazine Caretas and was killed during the peak of the conflict between Peruvian security forces and rebels of the Maoist Shining Path group.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Daniel Urresti fue condenado a 12 años de prisión por el asesinato del periodista Hugo Bustíos (2/2) - from 24 Oras