Mitzar Bato Castillejos Tenazoa, 34, was shot in the abdomen, thorax and arm by two gunmen in Aguaytía, Peru, on December 12, 2025, and died from his wounds December 26, 2025.
Castillejos, a news show host for Radio Latín Plus and editor of the online news site Bato a Informarte Noticias in the Peruvian Amazon city of Aguaytía, was shot while on his way to his station. The two gunmen escaped. He was transferred to a hospital in the nearby city of Tingo María, and on December 17 transferred to a hospital in Lima, the capital, where he died, according to Peru’s Health Ministry.
According to a statement by the National Journalists Association, Castillejos’s coverage of corruption allegations against local authorities could be a motive for the attack and the association demanded that government officials undertake a thorough investigation.
The Attorney General’s office confirmed in an email to CPJ that it is investigating the attack as potential retaliation in connection with Castillejos’s journalistic work.