By Maite Allerborn
“He said it would be my last December, so I spent the worst December of my life”, says Manuela Calvo describing the events that led to what could have been her last Christmas.
Manuela Calvo is an Argentinian investigative journalist, activist, and producer. From her enthusiastic voice and rainbow dyed hair one could never expect the constant dangers Calvo has been exposed to. It all started with a death threat:
“They should all be extinguished, they have to disappear, they won’t live past December”, claimed the threat from an Instagram profile that Calvo recognized.
The menaces became real after the lock nuts of her family’s car were stolen, an intimidation method which could have led to a deadly accident, and which was replicated in the mother’s and aunt’s car of the victim Calvo was investigating. The victim’s father, accused of sexual abuse, was a mechanic. Calvo reported the occurrence to the attorney, which lead to no consequences.
“They try to impose inaction through fear”
Calvo’s investigations have led her to uncover cases of institutionalized violence and legal shielding of abusers which have made her a target to SLAPP, judicial persecution and systematic censorship.
As a victim of SLAPP, Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, Calvo has experienced human right violations in multiple instances. Back in 2022, Calvo’s home was raided by the police, confiscating her personal and professional material. The action was a consequence of an alleged disobedience to a court order to stop her from publishing any material related to one of her investigations. Such disobedience did not exist, reason why The Human Rights Secretary of La Rioja and the Ombudsperson’s office claimed that the raid was a violation of freedom of expression.
The cost of investigating was too high
“I never had problems as a communicator till I became an investigator trying to give a voice to survivors”, says Calvo, whose investigations try to give a voice to silenced victims and expose the violation of the victims’ human rights. Which is the reason why she prefers documentary formats, as they create depth and engagement while the silenced voices in hostile situations are the protagonists.
Argentinian investigative journalist, Miriam Lewin, described Calvo’s case as unprecedented in terms of institutionalized persecution since the dictatorship era. The constant violation of Calvo’s human rights is the reason why her case is now being investigated by the Interamerican Commission of Human Rights.
The Pares Foundation
Calvo answers my call from the office of her newest project, the Pares Foundation, situated next to the Rioja’s court that perpetuated her persecution and censorship.
“Because I’m not wrong, the world is”, says Calvo as she describes the inception of The Pares Foundation as an oasis of empathy to hostile situations. The intention behind the foundation is to create a safe space for victims living in hostile circumstances.
“I battled a lot with fear, but they haven’t conquered my silence yet”
Calvo explains that her main motivation to continue working is understanding the configuration of resistance to an oppressive system. Her safety net is the other reason, her family has helped her advance through the fear imposed over her.
Calvo’s censorship has affected those around her. Her mother, who is fighting cancer, and her disabled dad depend on her economically and have been affected by the many interruptions the state has imposed on her work.
As our call comes to an end, Calvo’s fierce character unveils the survivor behind the victim. A woman whose will is to stand before injustice even if that means over her own body.
Manuela Calvo is an Argentinian investigative journalist known for:
- Her role as Investigative journalist for Pagina 12
- The judicial persecution and systematic censorship against her.
- Founder of the Pares foundation and social lab.