Naldi Saldanya, the lead singer of the Peruvian orchestra La Bella Luz, has filed an official complaint against the project's musical director. She is accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate physical contact by the man without her consent.
Video recordings of the incident became public and caused outrage among Peruvians, sparking a wave of solidarity on social media where people demand condemnation of the suspect.
All incidents took place during group rehearsals. As Naldi was leaving the restroom, Cesar Sanchez Chavez, the orchestra's musical director, began grabbing her, attempting to kiss her and touch her chest.
According to the publication El Pais, the video was filmed on June 18th and went public shortly thereafter. The singer filed a statement the day after the recording. Naldi claims that this publicized incident is not an isolated episode but rather the culmination of a series of attempts at sexual violence by Cesar Sanchez Chavez.
The young woman, aged 26, stated: 'It wasn't the first time. That month I started avoiding the restroom. He always tried to touch me when I passed by him.'
Without support, the singer left the project
The singer, who had been part of the La Bella Luz orchestra for three years, expected a decisive reaction from the group after her statement, but no such response came, and after a month, she decided to distance herself from the project. She expressed regret over her colleagues' stance, noting: 'They told me it would pass and that I could overcome this situation.'
It should be noted that Cesar is the cousin of the founder and owner of the group. Only after the video became publicly available did the orchestra announce the temporary suspension of Sanchez Chavez.
The videos show the man approaching Naldi for the first time. After some time, he talks to her again, and the singer returns to the musical director, who grabs her again.
Regarding this situation, Naldi explained that the man called her, and she decided to return, believing he would give her 'forgiveness.'
The accusation led to the cancellation of several events
Naldi's statement impacted various projects of the group. The company Del Barrio Producciones announced the cancellation of a series based on the story of La Bella Luz, explaining that they cannot continue production if the person accused of such an act remains part of the orchestra.
The company stated that it adheres to a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting victims and upholding due legal process.
Furthermore, the program 'Mande quien mande' from América Televisión, which organized the casting for finding a new singer for La Bella Luz, temporarily suspended the selection process. Tula Rodriguez, one of the hosts, stated: 'We ask that investigations be brought to a conclusion. No one has the right to be subjected to any harassment, let alone remain silent. Thank God that this girl was able to gather evidence to show the world what this unfortunate person did to her.'
