The journalist linked to El Faro, Roberto Valencia, confessed to having helped one of the top gang leaders transmit a message addressed to his current wife and to a judge.
The confession of the Spanish journalist, a self-proclaimed «Salvadorian», was made during the presentation of the book «Letter from Zacatraz», which deals with an investigation carried out on the gangs in El Salvador.
During the presentation of the book, Roberto Valencia admits his relationship with a gang leader, saying: «I want to write a book. I’ve already talked to 35 people. I had an interview (with a gang leader) that I decided to do when I already had a heavy job as a reporter. I was with him those four afternoons. He made it easy for me to get in touch with his wife. He asked me for some favors (one of them was) sending a message to one of the judges».
For his part, the Press Secretary of the Presidency, Ernesto Sanabria, gave his opinion on the subject on his Twitter account: «This is just one proof of how these «journalists» from El Faro not only talk to criminal groups, but, in addition, they do them favors, they convey messages to relatives and judges! What message to the judges? Salvadorans must know the truth».
Images of other journalists from the digital medium El Faro also circulate on social networks talking with gang leaders, as is the case of Carlos Martínez, among others, who have maintained a relationship with this type of criminal in order to publish various stories about the maras in El Salvador.