Laura Bozzo

Infobox Person
name = Laura Bozzo


image_size =
caption =
known_for = television talk show host
birth_name = Laura Cecilia Bozzo Rotondo
birth_date = birth date and age|1951|8|19
birth_place = Callao, Peru

Laura Cecilia Bozzo Rotondo (born August 19, 1951) is a lawyer and television talk show host of the Spanish-language talk show "Laura: En Acción" that is broadcast in the United States on the Telemundo television network. Of mixed Italian Peruvian descentcite web|last=Hamre|first=Bonnie|title=The Curious Case of Laura Bozzo (page 1 of 2)|url=http://gosouthamerica.about.com/od/television/a/laurabozzo.htm|publisher=About.com|date=2005-09-07|accessdate=2008-02-17] , she has hosted other talk shows under her name, including "Laura en America" back in the 1990s to early 2000s.cite news|last=Navarro|first=Mireya|title= Complaint to Spanish TV: Not Enough Americans; Few U.S. Plots for Growing U.S. Audience|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9503E7DC113EF932A1575BC0A9669C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|work=The New York Times|date=2000-08-21|accessdate=2008-02-14] Her talk shows have been compared to the American English-language "Jerry Springer Show" due to the fights that regularly occur as well as the sensitive subject matter routinely discussed. In 2008, a scandal erupted when it was discovered by the Peruvian press, led by important figures such as Jaime Bayly, that the shows provided by Laura Bozzo were fake and therefore did not show the true society of Peru.cite web|title=Retiran programa de Laura Bozzo en TV peruana|url=http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/491502.html|publisher=LibertadLatina.org|date=2008-03-20|accessdate=2008-08-18]

Biography

She studied law in Lima, Peru, receiving degrees in law and political science there and teaching classes within such fields in various universities. In 1993, she became the "regidora" (alderman) of metropolitan Lima. In 1998, she organized the organization "Solidaridad de Familia" (Family Solidarity) as a charitable foundation to assist people from Peru and other Latin American nations with legal, medical, and psychological problems; which has been under much criticizing for increasing suspicion of being funded by ex-dictator Alberto Fujimori.cite web|title=Sobre Doctora Laura Bozzo|url=http://www.libertadlatina.org/LA_Peru_Laura_Bozzo.htm|publisher=LibertadLatina.org|date=2005-10-05|accessdate=2008-02-17]

As talk show hostess

In February 1998, the American Spanish-language broadcast network Telemundo began broadcasting her show "Laura en América" on its affiliates.cite web|last=Sutter|first=Mary|title=NBC U's Spanish "Laura" heads to PPV|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117924362.html?categoryid=14&cs=1|work=Variety|date=2005-06-13|accessdate=2008-04-04] The show soon began to be shown all over Latin America. Similar in nature to the American "Jerry Springer Show", it routinely featured guests usually having troubles within their lives, including infidelity. Usually, the show would expose evidence of wrongdoing by the suspect that the guest presents, leading to fighting between guests.cite news|last=Gotkine|first=Elliott|title=Peru's 'Jerry Springer' Battles Scandal|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3012397.stm|publisher=BBC News|date=2003-05-08|accessdate=2008-02-14] The authenticity of the show has been questioned, given the unusually sensational subjects explored.cite news|last=Forero|first=Juan|title= She Earns Big Ratings, but Can't Buy Groceries|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02E2DB1F3EF933A2575BC0A9659C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|work=The New York Times|date=2003-08-10|accessdate=2008-02-14] By the end of the year, Bozzo moved to Miami, Florida.

From July 2002cite web|last=Chauvin|first=Lucien|title=Live from Lima, "Laura" airs under house arrest|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117873100.html?categoryid=22&cs=1|work=Variety|date=2002-09-22|accessdate=2008-04-04] to 2005, she was under house arrest for using her program to discredit opponents of former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori. Consequently, she had to live in the "Laura en América" studios, Monitor Studios in Lima, under court orders, setting up a small apartment room there, living with then-boyfriend Cristian Zuarez, an aspiring rock singer. As a result of Bozzo's arrest, her talk show was no longer shown on Peruvian television. In a courtroom hearing in April 2005, Bozzo denied having been paid for loving the former spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos, who was imprisoned in 2001. [cite news|last=Vecchio|first=Rick|title=TV star claims love wasn't based on cash|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002251295_peru24.html?syndication=rss|work=The Seattle Times|publisher=Associated Press|date=2005-04-24|accessdate=2008-02-17] The show was featured in a "Dateline NBC" news story in August 2004. [cite episode|series=Dateline NBC|season=14|number=2|airdate=2004-08-08|url=http://tv.yahoo.com/dateline-nbc/show/episode/70092]

In 2006, Bozzo's contract with Telemundo expired after five years, so she moved her production to Televisa; production of "Laura en America" ended in July 2006. [cite news|last=Ayala|first=Nancy|title=Bozzo Bows Out at Telemundo, Moves to Televisa|url=http://www.marketingymedios.com/marketingymedios/noticias/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002500712|work=Marketing y Medios|date=2006-05-10|accessdate=2008-02-15] In October 2006, Bozzo appeared on the program "¿Dónde estás, corazón?" on the network Antena 3 from Spain, criticizing Alejandro Toledo for causing her arrest. [cite news|title=Peruvian talks show star says president Toledo persecuted her|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/21/europe/EU_GEN_Spain_Peru_Laura_Bozzo.php|work=International Herald Tribune|publisher=Associated Press|date=2006-10-21|accessdate=2008-02-15]

On July 11, 2006, just a few days before the one-year anniversary of her release from house arrest, Laura Bozzo was convicted of all the charges against her and was sentenced to four consecutive years in prison. Laura later informed a local television station, Canal 9, that she planned to use a newly enacted law in her favor and sue the Peruvian government. [cite web|title=Laura gets 4 years, will sue Peru|url=http://vivirlatino.com/2006/07/11/laura-gets-4-years-will-sue-peru.php|work=Vivir Latino|date=2006-07-11|accessdate=2008-02-15]

In January 2007, Bozzo attempted to enter the Spanish TV market through Spain's Telecinco, but once some executives saw pilots of the program, a proposal for a new Bozzo show was canceled. [cite web|title=Laura Bozzo fired again...then re-hired?|url=http://vivirlatino.com/2007/01/26/laura-bozzo-fired-againthen-rehired.php|work=Vivir Latino|date=2007-01-26|accessdate=2008-02-15] On November 6, 2007, her new show "Laura en acción" debuted on Telemundo in the United States. However, in March 2008, lawyer Freddy Escobar started an investigation about the possible illegal use of minors in her program, being exposed on TV to present fake cases of family sex violence. [cite web|title=Laura Bozzo Threatened With Lawsuit|url=http://www.peopleenespanol.com/pespanol/en/articles/0,22490,1726718,00.html|work=People en Español|date=2008-03-31|accessdate=2008-04-04] A scandal involving an underage woman who appeared on "Laura en acción" caused the show to be canceled by Peruvian network América Televisión, in which the show originally aired. [cite web|title= Laura Bozzo's TV Show Taken Off the Air|url=http://www.peopleenespanol.com/pespanol/en/articles/0,22490,1724116,00.html|work=People en Español|date=2008-03-20|accessdate=2008-04-04] [cite web|last=Young|first=James|title=Bozzo shutters "scripted" talk show|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117982745.html?categoryid=1043&cs=1|work=Variety|date=2008-03-20|accessdate=2008-04-04] Telemundo stopped airing the series by the beginning of May 2008. [cite news|last=Ruiz|first=Isabel J.|title=Peru: Telemundo takes Laura Bozzo off the air in the U.S.|url=http://www.livinginperu.com/news/6321|work=Living in Peru|date=2008-05-06|accessdate=2008-05-07]

References