Images show still missing Major Felipe Bazán Soles, wounded and surrounded by a group of indigenous people, one of whom has been arrested accused of his assassination.

Peru’s Ministry of the Interior showed images of missing police officer Felipe Bazan Soles, alive and surrounded by his captors. For the Ministry of the Interior, Bazan Soles was then murdered. One indigenous citizen has been captured accused of his killing. Defendant’s lawyer has denounced a series of irregularities. Father of the police officer believes his son is still alive.

(for an extended version of the following article, please scroll down the page)

By Miguel Cordero

On January 6 2010, Peru`s Minister of the Interior, Octavio Salazar and the Director of the National Police of Peru, General Miguel Hidalgo, made public the existence of images showing Major Felipe Bazan Soles, alive and being held captive by a group of 8 indigenous citizens on June 5 2009. According to the authorities, Major Bazan was then killed, and Mr. Austerio Pujupat Wachapea, indigenous citizen, has been arrested as one of the alleged murderers. The “Press Release 006-2010” ⁽¹⁾ of the Ministry of the Interior informs that: “the detainee Austerio Pujupat –who speaks spanish- admitted to be appearing in the picture holding Major Bazan by his belt and that he is armed with a spear. He also identifies the other individuals appearing in the picture and affirms that he saw how Bazan was murdered with their spears.”.

Video Source: “Canal N”.  Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRresortIIY     Other image at:  http://elcomercio.pe/noticia/392116/policia-presento-foto-que-aparece-mayor-bazan-manos-nativos-antes-morir

Nevertheless, on January 6, AIDESEP (Inter-ethnical association for the development of the peruvian jungle) communicated that Ivan Carrascal, lawyer of Mr. Asterio Wachapea Pujupat, denounced that “the detention of his defendant was a mounting executed by the police, because he never was at the “Curva del Diablo” the day of the painful events; and also that the prosecutor`s acussation and the penal denounce against the indigenous brother contain aberrations and innacuracies”⁽²⁾. Mr. Carrascal has challenged the police affidavit* 44-09-DirincriPNP/Divinhom, “for the falsenesses it contains”, and pointed out that the defendant doesn’t understand spanish, except for monosyllables, and that he is an illiterate. According to newspaper “La Primera”:“with the aid of an interpreter, the native said that he didn’t leave his place of residence during the days of the indigenous protest”⁽³⁾. The lawyer has also objected the prosecutor’s denounce 222-2009, “since the defendant and two more persons are accused of the “alleged murdering” of Major Bazan, taking for reference the version of an informant so-called “Yoni”, who affirmed he recognized the corpse of Major Bazan in Bagua’s morgue”. “La Primera”⁽⁴⁾ also informed that: “Wachapea Pujupat was detained on Tuesday December 29- 2009, by the single probatory evidence of a still image taken from a video which shows a group of indigenous transporting the body of a police officer. Mr. Carrascal explained that the father of Major Bazan has pointed out that it is not the body of his son; and, on the other hand, only an apparent physical similarity between the indigenous and the acussed is observed”.

Nonetheless, Mr. Felipe Bazan Caballero, father of Major Bazan, declared to the press on January 6 2010, that the man in the images shown by the authorities was his son and that this was the first time he saw those pictures ⁽⁵⁾. For him, this didn’t mean that his son was dead, all the contrary, it proved that he is alive and that he was transported to a native community. Mr. Bazan Caballero challenged General Hidalgo and the government to prove that his son was dead. “In that picture my son is alive. The supposed punches mentioned by the police were painted by the natives and for me it is a sign that my son is alive ” ⁽⁶⁾, he said.

Video of Mayor Bazan’s family:

Video Source: Frecuencia Latina.  Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4a721QpHNk

• I would like to make three observations:

I) What is the correct name (and identity) of the detainee?

Austerio Pujupat Wachapea?, Asterio Wachapea Pujupat?, Asterio Pujupat Mayak?, Asterio Cujupat Huachapea? Asterio Pujupat Wachapea?.

II) A report issued by the Defensoria del Puebo on June 2009 ⁽⁷⁾, registers the name “Asterio Pujupat Wachapea” on the “Relation of the persons who are in the “Pastoral House Santiago Apostle” (Bagua Grande) registered by the “Ministerio Publico” for the return to their communities. (Relation at 08/06/09 – 17:10 hrs.).

III) According to newspaper “La Primera” ⁽⁸⁾: “Wachapea Pujupat was detained on Tuesday December 29- 2009, by the single probatory evidence of a still image taken from a video which shows a group of indigenous transporting the body of a police officer. Mr. Carrascal explained that the father of Major Bazan has pointed out that it is not the body of his son; and, on the other hand, only an apparent physical similarity between the indigenous and the acussed is observed”. But, are they referring to the same video presented on January 6 by the police, or (also) to other videos which have been mentioned in the past by the media, by some commissioners and by Mr. Bazan Caballero himself?

References:

* The word “affidavit” was translated from the Spanish word “atestado”

⁽¹⁾ http://www.mininter.gob.pe/noticias_detalle.php?item=5610

⁽²⁾ http://www.aidesep.org.pe/index.php?codnota=1158

⁽³⁾ http://www.diariolaprimeraperu.com/online/edicionNota.php?IDnoticia=54052&EN=1750

⁽⁴⁾ Idem

⁽⁵⁾

http://www.larepublica.pe/politica/06/01/2010/padre-de-mayor-bazan-dice-que-conferencia-de-ministro-salazar-fue-un-montaje

⁽⁶⁾ Idem

⁽⁷⁾ http://www.defensoria.gob.pe/modules/Downloads/informes/varios/2009/informe-adjuntia-006-2009-DP-DHPD.pdf

⁽⁸⁾ http://www.diariolaprimeraperu.com/online/edicionNota.php?IDnoticia=54052&EN=1750

Extended version of the Article:

On January 6 2010, Peru’s Minister of the Interior, Octavio Salazar and the Director of the National Police of Peru, General Miguel Hidalgo, made public the existence of images showing Major Felipe Bazan Soles, alive and being held captive by a group of indigenous people, before his assassination. According to the “Press Release 006-2010” ⁽¹⁾ , a collaborator provided: “the irrefutable photographic evidence, taken during the confrontations for the restoration of the public order during the amazonian violent protests, in which it is possible to observe Major Felipe Bazan Soles still alive, violently retained by a group of eight indigenous people armed with spears; making possible the full identification of the alleged authors of the assassination of the Major, killed on June 5 2009, at the shores of the Utcubamba river”.

The Press Release also states that “the alleged murderers of Major Bazan would be: Austerio Pujupat Wachapea (detained), Roberto Carlos Elena and Sebastian Taijin Uwak (both of them: whereabouts unknown). Those who appear in that picture were included in the ampliative affidavit* of the investigation that the representant of the Ministerio Publico elaborated after the disappearance of the PNP officer. In presence of his lawyer, the detainee Austerio Pujupat –who speaks spanish- admitted to be appearing in the picture holding Major Bazan by his belt and that he is armed with a spear. He also identifies the other individuals appearing in the picture and affirms that he saw how Bazan was murdered with their spears.”.

Nevertheless, AIDESEP (Inter-ethnical association for the development of the peruvian jungle) communicated on January 6 ⁽²⁾ that Ivan Carrascal, lawyer of Mr. Asterio Wachapea Pujupat, denounced that “the detention of his defendant was a mounting executed by the police, because he never was at the “Curva del Diablo” the day of the painful events; and also that the prosecutor`s acussation and the penal denounce against the indigenous brother contain aberrations and innacuracies”. Mr. Carrascal has challenged the police affidavit 44-09-DirincriPNP/Divinhom, “for the falsenesses it contains”. The lawyer denounced that the mentioned police document indicates that his defendant answered between 8 and 10 questions, admitted his participation in the transportation of Major Bazan and also blamed two other persons, but “this is not believable because Asterio doesn’t understand spanish, except for monosyllables. He only communicates in his language”, he said. The article of AIDESEP also affirms that: “Another abnormality of the affidavit is that it records that the indigenous man has primary and secondary school studies, which is completely false since he is an illiterate”.

An extended version of that article, published by newspaper “La Primera” ⁽³⁾ asseverates that “the relatives of the indigenous informed that he didn’t leave his community the day of the events, which was corroborated yesterday by the lawyer himself during the second interview he had with his defendant in the cell of the San Humberto prison, in Bagua Grande”, and that “with the aid of an interpreter, the native said that he didn’t leave his place of residence during the days of the indigenous protest”. “The version was corroborated in that sense by the Apu of the Native community of “Nazaret”, district of Imaza, province of Bagua (Amazonas), who, as a social leader knows the members of his community who participated in the occupation of the Fernando Belaunde Highway”.

The article of “La Primera” also informs that: “Wachapea Pujupat was detained on Tuesday December 29- 2009, by the single probatory evidence of a still image taken from a video which shows a group of indigenous people transporting the body of a police officer. Mr. Carrascal explained that the father of Major Bazan has pointed out that it is not the body of his son; and, on the other hand, that only an apparent physical similarity between the indigenous and the accused is observed. Lawyer Carrascal also objected the prosecutor’s denounce 222-2009, subscribed by the prosecutor Bobadilla Teran, which was surprisingly elaborated on December 29, like the police affidavit, since him and two more persons are accused of the “alleged murdering” of Major Bazan, taking for reference the version of an informant so-called “Yoni”, who affirmed he recognized the corpse of Major Bazan in Bagua’s morgue”.

In declarations to the press, the father of Major Bazan Soles affirmed that the picture of his son was a proof that he is still alive, and challenged General Hidalgo and the government to prove that he was dead. According to CNRadio ⁽⁴⁾ , Mr. Bazan said that: “There are no proofs that this happened. This has a process. In an armed action, when not finding his corpse as a proof that he is dead, he is declared missing. That takes three years, after three years he is declared dead.” “I, as a father, am still thinking that my son was taken by a group of indigenous people and that he is alive in a native community.” According to newspaper “El Comercio” ⁽⁵⁾ , Mr. Bazan said that the pictures don’t show his son brutally beaten up. “At most, he has a small wound in the right cheek and he has the face painted like some natives…Do you believe that, killing him they are going to pose for a picture”, he declared. Mr. Bazan also said to newspaper “La Republica” ⁽⁶⁾ (January 6 2010) that this was the first time he had seen that picture of his son.

• There are three observations I would like to make:

I) What is the correct name (and identity) of the detainee?

-The “Press Release 006-2010” ⁽⁷⁾, of the Ministry of the Interior referred to him as: Austerio Pujupat Wachapea.

-AIDESEP ⁽⁸⁾ and newspaper “La Primera”^(9), among others, have referred to him as: Asterio Wachapea Pujupat

-In an article published on January 02, 2010, CNR (Coordinadora Nacional de Radio) ⁽¹⁰⁾, affirmed that: “the native Asterio Pujupat Mayak was arrested the past tuesday in the native community of Nazaret-Chiriaco, as one of those who allegedly assassinated and disappeared the body of the Major of the DINOES Felipe Bazan Soles, on June 5 2009.”

Newspaper “La Republica” ⁽¹¹⁾, on January 2, 2010 also refers to the detainee as “Asterio Pujupat Mayak”

-On January 7, 2010, CNRadio named him: Asterio Cujupat Huachapea. ⁽¹²⁾

-The media in general refers to him as: Asterio Pujupat Wachapea

II) A document from the “Defensoria del Pueblo” ⁽¹³⁾ (institution presided by Peru’s Ombudswoman, Dr. Beatriz Merino) makes reference to a person named Asterio Pujupat Wachapea, found in the “Pastoral House Santiago Apostle”, Bagua Grande, on June 8 2009.

The document: “INFORME DE ADJUNTÍA Nº 006-2009-DP/ADHPD” elaborated by the “Defensoria del Pueblo” between June 5 – 30, 2009, and specifically on the list titled: “Relation of the persons who are in the “Pastoral House Santiago Apostle” (Bagua Grande) registered by the “Ministerio Publico” for the return to their communities. (Relation at 08/06/09 – 17:10 hrs.), shows that:

Number: 289

Name: Asterio Pujupat Wachapea

Age: 33

Sex: Male

Sector: Chiriaco

Community: Chiriaco

III) To which specific image(s) (still captures, videos) are newspaper “La Primera” and Mr. Carrascal (even citing Mr. Bazan Caballero) referring to in the article published on January 6, 2010?.

As we have seen, newspaper “La Primera” affirmed on January 6 that “Wachapea Pujupat was detained on Tuesday December 29- 2009, by the single probatory evidence of a still image taken from a video which shows a group of indigenous people transporting the body of a police officer” and that the defendant’s lawyer, Mr. Carrascal “explained that the father of Major Bazan has pointed out that it is not the body of his son; and, on the other hand, only an apparent physical similarity between the indigenous and the accused is observed.”

Was Mr. Bazan Caballero’s cite referring to the video presented by the police on January 6? Or he was referring to other video(s)?

An article published on January 02, 2010 by newspaper “La Republica” ⁽¹⁴⁾, says that: “Felipe Bazan Caballero affirmed that the government is trying to hide the truth about the disappearing of his son, with the recent capture of the native Asterio Pujupat Mayak, accused of the killing of PNP Major Felipe Bazan Soles. Bazan Caballero indicated that he had access to the videos where the detained native appears carrying, with other indigenous people, a member of the DINOES (Police Special Forces); nevertheless, he cleared up that this is not his son and underlined that the police officer being carried by the natives is named Hidalgo, and not Bazan Soles”.

Previously, on December 16, 2009, Mr. Bazan Caballero declared also to “La Republica” ⁽¹⁵⁾ that: “I already have that video, my son is not there, it is a police officer from Arequipa, whose corpse has already been buried.”

Nevertheless, and as we have already seen, Mr. Bazan has recognized that the police officer appearing on the image shown on January 6 by the Ministry of the Interior is his son, and he has declared, also on January 6, 2010 that this was the first time he had watched that particular image.

It would be much clarifying, if Mr. Carrascal and newspaper “La Primera” specified to which video/image they were referring to.

References:

* The word “affidavit” was translated from the Spanish word “atestado”

^{(1) http://www.mininter.gob.pe/noticias_detalle.php?item=5610}

^{(2) http://www.aidesep.org.pe/index.php?codnota=1158}

^{(3) http://www.diariolaprimeraperu.com/online/edicionNota.php?IDnoticia=54052&EN=1750}

^{(4) http://www.cnr.org.pe/nueva_web/nota.shtml?x=1952}

^{(5) http://elcomercio.pe/noticia/392178/padre-mayor-bazan-considera-que-fotos-policia-son-evidencias-que-su-hijo-esta-vivo}

^{(6) http://www.larepublica.pe/politica/06/01/2010/padre-de-mayor-bazan-dice-que-conferencia-de-ministro-salazar-fue-un-montaje}

^{(7) http://www.mininter.gob.pe/noticias_detalle.php?item=5610}

^{(8) http://www.aidesep.org.pe/index.php?codnota=1158}

^{(9) http://www.diariolaprimeraperu.com/online/edicionNota.php?IDnoticia=54052&EN=1750}

^{(10) http://www.cnr.org.pe/nueva_web/nota.shtml?x=1890}

^{(11) http://www.larepublica.pe/politica/02/01/2010/padre-de-mayor-bazan-no-cree-que-nativo-capturado-sea-asesino-de-su-hijo}

^{(12) http://www.cnr.org.pe/nueva_web/nota.shtml?x=1952}

^{(13) http://www.defensoria.gob.pe/modules/Downloads/informes/varios/2009/informe-adjuntia-006-2009-DP-DHPD.pdf}

^{(14) http://www.larepublica.pe/politica/02/01/2010/padre-de-mayor-bazan-no-cree-que-nativo-capturado-sea-asesino-de-su-hijo}

^{(15) http://www.larepublica.pe/politica/16/12/2009/padre-del-desaparecido-pnp-felipe-bazan-espera-que-comision-bagua-culpe-cabanill}

© 2010, Miguel Cordero. All rights reserved.

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