Organized crime cartels are systematically executing journalists who dare to expose corruption, with three reporters murdered in 2025 alone as violence against the press reaches crisis levels.
Story Overview
- Fernando Nunez, a corruption investigator, was gunned down by hitmen while riding a motorcycle with brother
- Third journalist murdered by organized crime in Peru this year, following Gaston Medina and Raul Celis
- Homicides surged 13% in Peru through October 2025, with 1,888 killings reported
- Press freedom has dramatically collapsed as cartels silence reporters exposing municipal corruption
Hitmen Execute Anti-Corruption Reporter
Fernando Nunez, a fearless journalist who investigated municipal corruption for digital outlet Kamila TV, was assassinated by hitmen on Saturday while returning from an assignment. The attack occurred as Nunez rode a motorcycle with his brother, who remains in critical condition.
Peru’s National Association of Journalists confirmed Nunez died instantly from gunshot wounds, marking another brazen execution of a reporter who threatened corrupt networks through his investigative work.
Hitmen murder Peruvian journalist who dug into corruption https://t.co/3LDDSdvoul
— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) December 8, 2025
Third Journalist Execution This Year Signals Coordinated Campaign
Nunez’s murder represents the third journalist killed by organized crime in Peru during 2025, following the assassinations of Gaston Medina and Raul Celis. Medina, who owned and edited a regional television channel, was gunned down outside his home in Ica.
The systematic targeting of reporters demonstrates how criminal organizations are weaponizing violence to silence press coverage of corruption. The National Association of Journalists urged investigators to prioritize Nunez’s journalistic work as the primary motive.
Crime Surge Reflects Broader Societal Breakdown
Peru reported 1,888 homicides through October 2025, representing a 13 percent increase from the previous year’s comparable period. This violence escalation stems from organized crime expansion, extortion-related murders, and gang proliferation following post-pandemic economic devastation.
High unemployment rates and political instability created conditions for criminal networks to flourish. The journalist association declared “they are killing us” while emphasizing that press violence attacks democracy itself and citizens’ fundamental right to information.
Press Freedom Collapses Under Criminal Intimidation
Peru’s press freedom ranking plummeted to 125th out of 180 countries on Reporters Without Borders’ 2024 index, marking what the organization called a “dramatic fall” over two years. Beyond murders, journalists face escalating physical assaults and robberies while covering sensitive topics like land disputes.
The National Association of Journalists warned against normalizing this violence, stating that impunity enables new attacks. This breakdown mirrors patterns seen across Latin America, where criminal organizations systematically target reporters who threaten their operations through investigative journalism.
