Journalist and political candidate Susy Aponte Polo has been shot in the head and killed by a hitman at a market in Caraz, Peru.
Aponte, who was known as 'China Polo' and ran a YouTube channel called 'China Polo Dominical' for four years, was killed on Saturday, September 19. Her husband, Jorge Tello Bardales, told police he was standing nearby when Venezuelan national Luis Obispo Díaz fired the fatal shots.
Tello, who was also a partner in her program and is the father of her four children, said Aponte lived in constant fear because of threats related to her investigations. He noted she managed her own itinerary and made frequent changes to her routine because she was always frightened.
The couple had travelled to Caraz from Huaraz that morning. Tello said he called Manuel Cocha Bonifacio, a mayoral candidate for Huaylas for Aponte's Socios por Áncash party, who met them at the market.
Tello told police they were handing out flyers when Víctor Castillo Alva, a journalist for 'Rima Rima Noticias', approached to film Aponte with his phone. Tello said he stepped back to hand out bracelets and avoid the camera, and then heard four or five gunshots.
He said he found Aponte bleeding from the mouth and nose on the ground and put her on her side. He said people ran away before a municipal watchman brought a plastic stretcher. Tello said they took her to the hospital, where he was told minutes later that she had died.
Election threats
Aponte had requested guarantees from the prefecture of El Santa in Chimbote before travelling. She named two politicians from the Alianza para el Progreso party: Walter Soto Campos, a candidate for the provincial municipality of El Santa, and Ladislao Cruz Villachica, who is known as 'Lalo Villa' and is a candidate for provincial mayor of Huaraz.
Aponte had planned to broadcast reports on Sunday, September 20, about alleged corruption involving Soto during his time as mayor of Nuevo Chimbote and Cruz Villachica as mayor of the Independencia district in Huaraz. Both politicians have condemned the murder and denied any involvement.
Tello said threats arrived by message every week or two, depending on what Aponte was publishing. He also stated individuals had impersonated Aponte and blocked her phone line. He said police intelligence agents followed her for two days after a July 13 broadcast that accused Lieutenant General Augusto Ríos Tiravanti of protecting illegal miners between October 2024 and January 2026, during his time as head of the National Police Intelligence Directorate.
Murder plot allegations
On July 12, Aponte formally reported to the El Santa prefecture that Juan Calderón Altamirano, a former advisor to Soto, was planning to have her killed. Calderón previously served time in prison for his role as a consultant to former Áncash regional governor César Álvarez Aguilar, who was convicted of corruption and murder.
Aponte stated at the time that a hitman named 'Cojo Giordano' had called her to say Calderón wanted her dead and had provided her location details and payment.
Tello told police he did not know Obispo Díaz, who allegedly carried out the killing on behalf of a person living in Lima, nor did he know alleged financier Ronald Toro Ardila or the three other Venezuelans who accompanied the gunman to the market.
A toxicological report from the Huaraz Institute of Legal Medicine showed Obispo Díaz tested positive for ketamine and an alkaloid, likely cocaine, which medical information states alters senses and blocks brain signals. A ballistics test was positive for barium, lead, and antimony, confirming he fired a weapon.
Aponte had acknowledged two prior convictions for ideological falsehood and document forgery on her CV submitted to the National Jury of Elections.
