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Below, we share the rectification request letter sent by Mr. Claudio Cajina, legal counsel for the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, to Ms. María José Bueno Márquez, Director of El País, and Ms. Soledad Alcaide, Reader Ombudsperson of El País, rejecting the statements made in their recent article titled, “The Journalists Who Exposed the Abuses of the Sodalitium in Peru Report Judicial Persecution for Their Investigations into the Church.”
Lima, November 15th, 2024
Ms. María José Bueno Márquez, Director of El País
Ms. Soledad Alcaide, Reader Ombudsperson of El País
Dear Ms. Bueno and Ms. Alcaide,
I am writing to you in my capacity as legal counsel for the Sodalitium of Christian Life to express our strong rejection of the statements made in your recent article titled “The Journalists Who Exposed the Abuses of the Sodalitium in Peru Report Judicial Persecution for Their Investigations into the Church,” published on November 8, 2024, in El País. The article claims that the Sodalitium exerts influence over the Peruvian judicial system to promote harassment actions against journalists Pedro Salinas and Paola Ugaz. This assertion is completely false and lacks any basis.
We deeply regret that during the preparation of this article, El País did not contact us to request our perspective on these serious accusations, which we consider essential for journalistic rigor and ethics. We are concerned that statements of this nature were published without a minimum effort to verify sources, contradicting the mission stated on your website: “The journalist (of El País) provides readers with verified news.”
What is most troubling about the article is that there is no evidence whatsoever to support the alleged influence that the Sodalitium is said to have on the Public Prosecutor’s Office. In the published article, verified (and unverified) facts are irrelevant; instead, only the opinions or assumptions of Mr. Salinas are presented, which, without any foundation, confuse public opinion by mixing his journalistic and investigative work with his personal legal proceedings before the Public Prosecutor’s Office. These proceedings are related to possible acts of corruption in the context of his professional activity with institutions of the Peruvian State. The accusation of “judicial revenge” is a baseless construct aimed at distorting the reality of the ongoing legal proceedings that Mr. Salinas is currently facing, which have no relation to the matters at hand.
To clarify these points, I am attaching an opinion piece authored by me that details the falsehoods propagated by Mr. Salinas and Ms. Ugaz and precisely dismantles the accusations made in your article. I respectfully request, in defense of the legitimate right to truth and good reputation, that this column be published in your outlet with the same visibility as the original article. We believe that allowing your readers to understand all sides of this story is a fair and necessary step to clarify the facts and provide balanced and truthful information.
Sincerely,
Claudio Cajina (DNI No. 08747516)
Legal Counsel for the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae
_____________________________________
By Dr. Claudio Cajina, Legal Counsel for the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae
In recent years, the Sodalitium of Christian Life has been the target of unfounded accusations and distorted claims by journalists Pedro Salinas and Paola Ugaz, who have publicly alleged that the institution is behind a supposed “judicial persecution” against them. These accusations are serious and baseless. As legal counsel for the Sodalitium, I find it necessary to clarify the facts and dismantle the falsehoods promoted by Salinas and Ugaz, which harm the reputation of an institution that has acted in strict compliance with the law.
The Sodalitium has never had any influence over the Public Prosecutor’s Office or the Judiciary of Peru. The investigations involving Salinas and Ugaz, far from being part of a “judicial revenge,” are independent procedures unrelated to the Sodalitium. These investigations, like others against them, stem from the decisions and jurisdiction of the Prosecutor’s Office and have no connection whatsoever with our institution.
Mr. José Luis Hauyón has never been legal counsel for the Sodalitium nor had any relationship with the institution. As we explained in a letter addressed to the newspaper La República in January of this year, Dr. Hauyón has individually represented some former members of the Sodalitium but has never acted on behalf of the institution.
Salinas has claimed that the Sodalitium seeks to “silence” his journalistic investigations through lawsuits or persecution. This assertion ignores the reality of judicial processes: in Peru, as in any democratic system, citizens have the right to protect their honor and reputation if they feel they have been unjustly harmed. The lawsuits filed have been limited to specific cases of defamation and are part of the right that every individual and institution has to defend their good name. Moreover, these legal actions are not handled by the Prosecutor’s Office (where, according to Salinas, the Sodalitium allegedly uses Hauyón as an infiltrated operator) but rather by the Judiciary, without any involvement of the Sodalitium as an organization.
One of the most persistent accusations is the existence of a “judicial campaign” allegedly promoted by the Sodalitium to persecute Salinas and Ugaz. However, this narrative is based on speculation and lacks evidence. In a recent video published on La Mula TV titled “The Sodalitium’s Revenge,” Salinas accuses our institution of acting “like a mafia organization,” seeking to influence the judicial system to harm him. Such statements, aside from being defamatory, are entirely false. The Sodalitium has no influence over judicial decisions in Peru and categorically rejects any suggestion of intervention in the prosecutorial procedures involving these journalists. Furthermore, neither Ugaz nor Salinas have ever presented evidence to support their claims.
I can categorically affirm that the Sodalitium has no connection to or interest in the investigations against Ugaz and Salinas. The attempts to link the institution to these investigations are tactics designed to create a false narrative of persecution, manipulating reality to garner media support and divert attention from the personal legal issues both Ugaz and Salinas face.
The Sodalitium reaffirms its commitment to transparency and justice. For several years, the institution has cooperated with Peruvian authorities and the Holy See in resolving internal issues and providing support to victims of abuse. Additionally, the Sodalitium has implemented measures for reparation and assistance to those affected, in a process that has been thoroughly documented and supervised.
It is time for public debate on these matters to be based on facts and a sincere commitment to the truth. Accusations without evidence only create confusion and undermine the practice of objective and ethical journalism, which is essential in any democratic society.
The Sodalitium does not seek privileges or immunities. It only wishes for truth to guide every process, and for those under investigation to face it with the same transparency and responsibility that we have always promoted. Ugaz and Salinas have the right to express their opinions and defend themselves, but they also have the obligation to do so with respect for the truth and without manipulating facts to construct a narrative of victimization.