Perú: Authorities must stop legal harassment against Paola Ugaz
Image Credit: Francisco Rodriguez Torres
‘Paola Ugaz’s tireless commitment to uncovering abuse and corruption should be celebrated, not criminalized. I call on the Peruvian authorities to immediately dismiss all ongoing investigations against her and to guarantee the protection of all journalists who risk their safety in pursuit of truth.’ — Burhan Sonmez, President of PEN International
26 June 2025: PEN International expresses grave concern over the ongoing legal harassment faced by investigative journalist and author Paola Ugaz in retaliation for her investigation into the Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana, a religious organization in Peru. Her persecution reflects a pattern of harassment against Peruvian journalists investigating corruption.
In a letter dated June 2025, Pope Leo XIV recognized Paola Ugaz’s pathbreaking journalism, ‘Your unwavering pursuit of justice and commitment to truth have been a guiding light, not only for Peru but for the Church and the world. May your moral valour continue to inspire, and may you know the Vatican stands firmly in your defence as these legal tactics threaten your safety and freedom’.
The Pope’s statement follows the Vatican’s decision in January 2025 to dissolve the Sodalicio de Vida Cristiana, citing evidence of sexual abuse, financial crimes, and spiritual manipulation, based on investigative reporting by Paola Ugaz and Pedro Salinas. The statement was read at the premiere of Proyecto Ugaz, a play honouring the courage of whistleblowers and journalists that was inspired by Ugaz’s instrumental role in exposing systemic abuses that led to the Vatican’s intervention.
Despite international recognition, Paola Ugaz continues to face judicial harassment. On 4 September 2024, Ugaz testified in an ongoing investigation for alleged ‘illicit enrichment’. After the hearing, the judicial authorities ordered her telephone company to hand over her telephone records and geolocation data from 2013 to 2020, undermining the confidentiality of the journalist's communications and violating her security and that of her sources. This grave breach of privacy has established a dangerous precedent for journalists in Peru, with Ugaz being the country’s first reporter to have their communications have been monitored and ‘seized’ in apparent retaliation for her journalism.
Paola Ugaz was the most sued journalist in Peru in 2019, and in 2020 appeared on front pages accusing her — falsely and without trial — of leading a money laundering network. These accusations were paired with a death threat. At time of publication of this statement, Ugaz continues to face two active investigations at the prosecutor’s office: a reopened money laundering case and an unresolved bribery case, both viewed as attempts to discredit her anti-corruption reporting. (For more details, see the PEN International’ Case Lists).
PEN International considers the legal harassment of Paola Ugaz to be a form of Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) intended to silence her work. This is emblematic of a wider climate of deteriorating press freedom in Peru. The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) has reiterated its serious concern about the country’s hostile environment for journalists, which includes legal harassment, smear campaigns and institutional silence in the face of violence and harassment.
The Peruvian authorities must respect their obligations under the international and regional treaties that the state has signed and ratified, including the American Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These treaties guarantee freedom of expression. Peru’s Constitution (Article 2) guarantees freedom of speech and opinion—asserting no legal or judicial interference with journalistic activity.
PEN International’s resolution on Criminal Defamation and Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPS) calls on all governments, including Peru to:
Repeal criminal defamation and insult laws;
Drop all existing charges against writers and journalists under criminal defamation and insult laws.
PEN International calls on the Peruvian authorities to:
Immediately dismiss criminal investigations and defamation cases against Paola Ugaz;
Respect its international commitments to freedom of expression;
Stop taking legal action against journalists and writers in Peru, and ensure that they are not subject to legal harassment in retaliation for their work.
Note to editors:
For more information, please contact Alicia Quiñones, Head of the Americas Region, at PEN International, email: [email protected]
For media queries please contact Sabrina Tucci, PEN International Communications and Campaigns Manager, [email protected]