Threats of violence continue to cast shadow over Colombia’s press freedom

[Judi Lynn]

Threats of violence continue to cast shadow over Colombia’s press freedom
posted by Taran Volckhausen
Nov 14, 2013

December 17, 1986: a voice is silenced. Machine gun fire shatters the stillness of the cold Bogota night. Motorcycle tires rip the pavement, leaving wisps of smoke in its wake. The director of newspaper El Espectador, Guillermo Cano, slumps over in his car, eyes unfocused, as the pools of blood darken around his motionless body.

Cano’s story serves as a reference point for journalists working in Colombia. The journalist and editor was shot down after using his respected position in Colombia’s oldest newspaper to denounce the corrupting influence of drug traffickers in the country’s political circles. The “transgression” cost him his life.

In war, truth is a dangerous concept. Colombia has been at war for over 50 years, and in this environment, practicing truth in journalism is, and always has been, dangerous.

Although acts of violent crimes against journalists in Colombia have dropped in the past few years, threats of violence directed at journalists remain high, witnessing a rise. Threats of violence against journalists in Colombia negatively impact the freedom of the press, which ultimately hinders the country’s ability to make informed democratic decisions.

More:
http://colombiareports.co/threats-violence-cast-shadow-colombia-freedom-press/

[Judi Lynn]

1. Interesting ending to the article posted above:

In a high profile example of violence directed at journalists this year, top editor and investigative journalist, Ricardo Calderon, working for weekly Semana, barely escaped death after diving into a ditch as hired hit men shot up his car while he was stopped at a red light. Calderon was targeted after reporting on lavish jail conditions for convicted human rights abusers in the military.

Pathetic, isn't it?