Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz to Ms. Rosana Rosado: We Deserve an Apology

July 21, 2010
For Immediate Release

Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz to Ms. Rosana Rosado: We Deserve an Apology

In a statement released today, New York State Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz (D-Bronx) celebrated the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board for its column titled: " The Spy Who Wasn't Russian, El Diario's leading lady" which appeared in the July 20th edition. Senator Díaz also joins the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board's demand for an apology for El Diario's readers.

"I applaud the integrity of the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board for its column about El Diario-La Prensa's former columnist, Vicky Peláez who was arrested by the FBI and pleaded guilty to being a Russian spy.  No other major publication has yet to take El Diario to task.

"I agree with the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board that the readers of El Diario deserve an apology. Yes, we do!

"In a press release from July 12th, I pointed out the obvious double standard practiced by New York's most popular Spanish-language newspaper, El Diario in its reporting of Vicky Peláez and demanded that El Diario be responsible and accountable to their readers.

"I'd like to highlight some of their editorial:

"But how to explain Peláez? And how to explain that she got off so easily? Until her arrest two weeks ago Peláez was a columnist for El Diario-La Prensa, the largest and oldest Spanish-language daily in New York. We still don't know the nature of the information she transported for Russia, but she certainly seemed to hate the America that took her in and let her make a good living attacking its interests."

"I thank the Wall Street Journal for letting its readers know that Peláez published regular anti-U.S. diatribes. 

"I thank the Wall Street Journal for letting its readers know that (e)ven by the standards of much of the Latin press, Peláez was hard left. Two of her former colleagues at the paper say she had photos of Shining Path terrorist Abimael Guzman and Che Guevara hanging in her cubicle. They also say she referred to the Cuban-Americans who worked in her office as "gusanos" (maggots), the term Fidel Castro uses for Cuban exiles.

"I ask that El Diario-La Prensa and its owner, Impremedia share their ethics manual with us all so we can know exactly what one must do as an employee of theirs that causes a dismissal.

"And, I am calling for other editorial boards to be inspired and encouraged by the Wall Street Journal column and demand accountability and an apology from the largest and oldest Spanish-language daily that serves New York."

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