The International Press Institute (IPI) expresses outrage over new legal threats targeting IPI-IMS World Press Freedom Hero Gustavo Gorriti in retaliation for his investigative journalism, which exposed widespread political and judicial corruption in Peru. IPI calls on Peruvian authorities to immediately cease the weaponisation of political power against Gorriti and all members of the media who report on public interest topics.
In a June 12 plenary session, Peru’s Congress approved by majority vote a report from a congressional commission recommending criminal charges against Gorriti, as well as several prosecutors who negotiated a major legal settlement that followed the Lava Jato investigation, one of the biggest corruption scandals in Latin American history, which ensnared some of Peru’s most senior officials.
The congressional commission recommending charges against Gorriti had been tasked with investigating a plea bargain agreement signed in 2019 between Peruvian prosecutors and Brazilian construction company Odebrecht following the Lava Jato probe. The commission, chaired by congressman Alejandro Muñante of the right-wing Popular Renewal party, has faced criticism for its lack of transparency and conflicts of interest, given that the Popular Renewal party is itself being investigated in the context of the Lava Jato case.
The head of the Popular Renewal party, Rafael López Aliaga, has also made several verbal threats directly against Gorriti, from suggesting he be “taken,” to saying “we have to get rid of the gentleman once and for all.”
Gorriti, as founder and editor-in-chief of the Peruvian investigative outlet IDL-Reporteros, played a leading role in uncovering the depth and breadth of the bribery scheme, and the massive anti-corruption investigation that followed, which became known as the “Lava Jato” case, or “Operation Car Wash.”
In 2018, Gorriti launched a related journalistic probe, known as Lava Juez, into corruption in the Peruvian judicial system, which resulted in sweeping reforms across the country’s government, further cementing Gorriti’s reputation as a leading advocate for transparency and independent journalism in Peru.
The congressional commission’s report accuses Gorriti of influence peddling, bribery, and obstruction of justice, and alleges that Gorriti offered “media support” to prosecutors involved in the Lava Jato investigations in return for influencing decisions, without citing evidence. The charges have been widely condemned by the Latin American journalistic community as baseless, given the widespread acclaim and international recognition Gorriti’s reporting on Lava Jato has received, and the fact that Gorriti had no role in the negotiations that resulted in the 2019 settlement with Odebrecht.
Notably, Peru’s attorney general, Tomás Gálvez, who will decide whether to pursue criminal charges against Gorriti, is one of the magistrates implicated in the Lava Juez probe.
“These latest threats against Gustavo Gorriti are nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate an independent journalist that dared to hold authorities accountable,” said IPI Executive Director Scott Griffen. “The IPI global network stands in solidarity with Gustavo and commends him once again for his decades-long, steadfast commitment to investigative reporting in the service of Peruvian democracy and the public’s right to know.”
Since IDL-Reporteros’ reporting on the Lava Jato investigation, Gorriti has faced sustained targeting and harassment from far-right activists and politicians. Often, the attacks were led by the subjects of his own past investigations. In March 2024, Peru’s Supreme Prosecutor’s Office announced a preliminary investigation into Gorriti’s reporting on the Lava Jato case, and requested access to the private communications Gorriti had with sources. Gorriti refused to comply, maintaining his innocence and insistence that the investigation was an attack on press freedom.
A veteran Latin American journalist, Gorriti is known for his decades of watchdog reporting on government corruption, rebel groups, and drug trafficking. Over his journalistic career, Gorriti has been kidnapped, forced into exile, and threatened with death. In 2025, IPI named Gorriti a 2025 World Press Freedom Hero in recognition of his groundbreaking work, despite the forces against him.