By Ingrid Bachmann
In the midst of a scandal over allegedly slapping a man who called him “corrupt,” President Alan García blamed the media for the incident, Peru.com reports. He claims the media is inciting the population against the government.
García has denied slapping Richard Gálvez, a hospital volunteer in Lima, who insists he was attacked by the president. A hospital workers came out in defense of the leader and said Gálvez was the aggressor, but news reports have questioned this version, must to Garcia’s chagrin. “[The media] is looking for tiny incidents, liars,” he said, quoted by Perú21.
The Press and Society Institute (IPYS) defended the media’s treatment of the scandal, especially considering there were conflicting stories about the incident. Ricardo Uceda, IPYS’ director, said that the role of the press is precisely to sort out all the relevant information.
Renowned Peruvian journalist Gustavo Gorriti also defended the role of the press and told La República that the government needs to give a clear and convincing explanation of what occurred with Gálvez.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
