Peruvian journalist Kenny Yucra Lopez, the founder of independent regional news outlet La Lupa in Ica, requested official personal guarantees from the regional prefecture on September 21, 2026, following explicit death threats targeted at him, his partner, and his young child.
Yucra received a video threat at 11:00 pm that he viewed during the early morning hours of September 18, 2026. In the video recording, an unidentified sender warned him to leave Juanito alone, explicitly invoking the widely known nickname of Juan Mendoza, a candidate running for regional governor of Ica under the Somos Peru political party banner.
Terrified by the threat against his immediate family, Yucra refrained from leaving his house for several days and took immediate steps to secure his home before formally presenting his case to state authorities in Ica, a coastal city in southern Peru.
Ica is a province and regional capital where the local economy relies primarily on agriculture and agro-exporting rather than mining. Yucra established La Lupa 13 years ago while studying communication at university, originally intending it as a practical academic project to apply his coursework before leaving upon graduation. However, after the outlet gained widespread regional recognition, he chose to maintain operations. La Lupa is now a member of the Red de Medios Regionales del Peru, an organization uniting 14 independent media outlets from various Peruvian regions.
Legal Actions and Protection Requests
Yucra appeared before the regional prefecture of Ica alongside his defense lawyer to initiate the formal process for state protection. Prefecture officials instructed him to gather and submit a USB drive containing comprehensive evidence, including published articles, screenshots, original video recordings, exact timestamps, registry logs, and full transcripts of the threatening material.
In addition to his application at the prefecture, Yucra is lodging a formal criminal complaint for coercion at the local police station. He is filing the legal action together with four other journalists in Ica who were also targeted with death threats during the month of September 2026.
Yucra confirmed that he received guidance and support from local law enforcement and prefecture officials, as well as press freedom organizations. These include the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS) and the National Association of Journalists of Peru (ANP).
Investigative Reports and Defamation Lawsuit
The intimidation against Yucra followed a series of investigative reports published by La Lupa ahead of Peru's regional and municipal elections. The outlet published multiple pieces examining candidate Juan Mendoza and his immediate political circle.
Specifically, La Lupa published a report detailing a formal legal complaint alleging sexual abuse against Mendoza. Following the publication, the Prosecutor's Office opened a preliminary investigation, prompting the news outlet to launch dedicated special coverage tracking the legal proceedings.
On September 1, 2026, Mendoza publicly announced that he intended to file lawsuits against La Lupa as well as the Emergency Women's Center of San Miguel in Pisco. On September 9, Yucra was officially notified that Mendoza had filed a criminal lawsuit for aggravated defamation against him, demanding 100,000 Peruvian soles in civil reparations.
Yucra stated that while he recognized Mendoza's right to utilize the judicial system, he firmly rejected the allegation of defamation. He explained that La Lupa's investigative reporting was based strictly on the formal complaint and the preliminary investigation opened by prosecutors.
Self-Censorship and Decision to Continue
Yucra acknowledged that the intimidation caused his newsroom to fall into immediate self-censorship, forcing them to halt investigative work out of fear. He stated that current national security conditions in Peru provide no real protection for journalists, noting that if a reporter is killed, the incident becomes little more than a temporary news headline.
Having worked in journalism for 14 years without experiencing threats of this severity, Yucra admitted evaluating whether to abandon the profession entirely. He shared that his parents, extended family, and partner were deeply alarmed and had begged him to stop reporting and remain silent.
Yucra stated that he had no desire to become a martyr or a hero for the press, questioning whether such sacrifices were worth making in the current climate. As a first-time father, he stressed that his main priority was remaining alive and present for his 18-month-old son.
Despite the danger, La Lupa resumed publishing after a short suspension. Yucra explained that while threats demotivate investigative reporting, journalists have a responsibility to inform the public. He pointed out that national news coverage in Peru remains heavily concentrated in the capital city of Lima, leaving citizens without adequate information on regional politics and causing voters to elect local authorities without knowing their backgrounds.
Media Safety and Regional Press Rights
Yucra emphasized that centralism in Peru is a broader social, political, and economic phenomenon rather than just an informational issue. Under these circumstances, he asserted that independent regional journalism is necessary and must be guaranteed by the state.
Reflecting on press safety in Ica, Yucra noted that the region had historically been relatively peaceful for reporters. However, he recalled the 2025 murder of journalist Gaston Medina, as well as the assassination of political candidate La China Polo, who was killed by hitman Luis Obispo using a police weapon under instructions from Ronald Toro in Lima.
Yucra remarked that while nothing justifies a cowardly murder, journalism ceases to be true journalism when individuals use it to pursue personal political interests. He noted that violent attacks against reporters in Ica had been rare unless journalists became involved in outside matters.
Closing his statements, Yucra called on the Peruvian judiciary, the Prosecutor's Office, the National Police of Peru, and government authorities to guarantee the free exercise of the press, noting that journalism is constitutionally recognized, defended, and protected as a fundamental right in Peru.
