Death of 'China' Polo registered as "unknown cause" in SINADEF: murder does not appear in statistics
The National Computer System of Deaths registered the murder of journalist Susy Aponte Polo with cause of death listed as "unknown", with no mention of a firearm.
Murder of Susy Aponte Polo registered without cause in official death registration system
The homicide of journalist and candidate for Regional Government of Áncash Susy Aponte Polo—known as 'China' Polo—was recorded in the National Computer System of Deaths (SINADEF) with cause of death listed as "unknown", according to a report by infobae.com. The omission means the case is not counted in national homicide statistics, despite the attack being captured on video.
Data analyst Juan Carbajal revealed the finding and characterised it as an "undercount of homicides". The forensic doctors who prepared the report confirmed gunshot impacts to the victim's head, but the document only lists neurogenic shock and cerebral laceration, without mentioning the use of a firearm.
The suspect and the seized weapon
Luis Obispo Díaz, identified as the perpetrator of the murder, was captured on the same day of the attack and transferred to Huaraz hospital for wounds that allegedly were caused during an alleged confrontation with Aponte Polo's security team. The firearm seized from Díaz is registered as stolen and belongs to police officer Christian Arévalo Calderón, who, according to RPP, reported that it had been stolen from his home in Villa El Salvador, Lima, in November 2023. Obispo Díaz is of Venezuelan nationality.
The threats prior to the crime
A week before being murdered, Aponte Polo had publicly stated that she had been being "harassed" and "intimidated". She stated that she had received three calls from within different penitentiary institutions with warnings of a supposed attack against her.
The journalist attributed these communications to an order from National Police general Víctor Alfredo Revoredo Farfán and stated that she had filed complaints with the relevant authorities. In her own words: "From three prisons I have received the call warning me that this man, Víctor Revoredo Farfán, has ordered an attack on me. (...) I have already filed the complaints with the corresponding authorities."
Political party demands explanations from Government
The Good Government Party requested on Sunday that the Ministry of the Interior provide public explanations regarding the accusations that Aponte Polo made against general Revoredo before her death. In a statement released on X, the political group led by former presidential candidate Jorge Nieto questioned the Government for not having responded to the journalist's complaints.
"Is it true that we are facing a narcostate? Is it true that the order was given by a high-ranking police officer? Is it true that this death is intended to silence complaints about police corruption? Peru wants answers. Enough of impunity", reads the party's statement.
Source: Google News PE — Crime