Peruvian news host Lourdes Sacin has revealed details of her final conversation with Susy Aponte Polo hours before the journalist was murdered on September 20.
Speaking on her TikTok account on Sunday, Sacin said Aponte Polo had called her to discuss confidential sources and upcoming investigative reports for their digital show, China Polo Dominical.
Sacin said the telephone call took place on her birthday while Aponte Polo was conducting political campaign activities as a candidate for the regional government of Ancash.
Sacin explained that Aponte Polo wished her a happy birthday and promised to bring her a gift after completing a campaign event at the Caraz market in the province of Huaylas.
Background on the region and program
Ancash is a region in western Peru where local political campaigns and regional government elections frequently draw intense public scrutiny. In Peruvian journalism, digital investigative broadcasts known as dominicales focus on investigative reporting and political exposés, often placing independent reporters in dangerous environments.
Campaign phone call and final reports
During their final conversation, Aponte Polo shared information about the specific report topics and confidential sources scheduled for broadcast on their Sunday show. Sacin stated that the planned investigative stories were abruptly cut short when Aponte Polo was killed later that day.
Sacin stated that Aponte Polo was aware of severe threats and knew that individuals wanted to kill her. Sacin added that the production team was fully aware of threats directed at the program prior to the murder.
According to Sacin, Aponte Polo had previously filed formal complaints with local law enforcement regarding the ongoing threats, but authorities took no action to protect her.
Dispute over the murder investigation
Sacin expressed strong anger toward the prosecutor office in Ancash over the initial handling of the investigation. She criticized prosecutors for attempting to classify the killing as a femicide.
Sacin described the femicide classification as a complete lie meant to obscure the true motive of the crime. She added that justice in Ancash is corrupt, echoing criticisms that Aponte Polo herself had voiced before her death.
Under Peruvian legal standards, femicide investigations focus on gender-based violence, whereas Sacin insisted that the homicide was directly motivated by Aponte Polo's investigative reporting.
Journalistic work and security concerns
Sacin stated that she refrained from disclosing the exact details of the upcoming investigative reports online out of concern for her own personal security. However, she emphasized that the sensitive information handled by Aponte Polo was the sole reason behind her assassination.
Sacin stated that Aponte Polo possessed sensitive investigative information that ultimately cost her her life. She noted that the reporter may have become overconfident and failed to measure the level of risk involved, adding that the manner in which she was killed was horrible.
