Peruvian lawmaker Aldo Bravo sparked controversy after telling news presenter Fernando Carvallo that he would not force him to join the national press association, during a broadcast discussing mandatory membership for journalists.
The exchange occurred on Wednesday during an interview on Ampliación de Noticias, a current affairs radio show broadcast by RPP and hosted by Carvallo alongside journalist Mávila Huertas.
Bravo, a member of the Peruvian Congress representing the conservative party Renovación Popular, advocated during the interview for compulsory registration with the Colegio de Periodistas del Perú, the official professional organization for journalists in the country.
The debate escalated when Carvallo noted that professional registration is not universal among Peruvian reporters and stated that he felt no regret about remaining unregistered himself.
In response, Bravo described Carvallo's decision to remain outside the professional body as a pity and insisted that the news presenter ought to register, before remarking that he would not personally be the one to compel him to do so.
Meeting with press dean
During the broadcast, Bravo revealed that he had held a meeting one day earlier with Andrés Zúñiga, the national dean of the Colegio de Periodistas del Perú, as part of discussions regarding media regulations.
The Colegio de Periodistas del Perú functions as the official institution for press professionals in the country, maintaining an ongoing debate over whether professional registration should be mandatory for journalists.
Opposition to media legislation
The friction on live radio comes amid broader scrutiny of Bravo by media advocacy groups over his legislative activity in the Peruvian parliament.
Just days prior to the radio interview, the Renovación Popular deputy introduced a bill aimed at penalizing what the proposed text defines as aggravated apologia for crime when broadcast through news media outlets.
The legislative initiative drew immediate opposition from major press oversight groups, including the National Association of Journalists and the Peruvian Press Council.
Both organizations formally rejected the bill, stating that the proposed penalties threaten independent reporting and news gathering during political crises and social conflicts in Peru.
