Gunshots fired at Italian freelance journalist in northern Colombia
Gunshots fired at Italian freelance journalist in northern Colombia
posted by Philipp Zwehl
Dec 5, 2013
An independent Italian journalist covering a land conflict between farmers and a large property holder was shot at in northern Colombia on Tuesday, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Foundation for Free Press (FLIP).
The incident reportedly occurred on a large private property in Cesar, where freelance journalist Bruno Frederico was filming a land dispute between alleged displacement victims and estate-owner Juan Manuel Fernandez.
Apparently, two men appeared and began to threaten Frederico and the nine local farmers he had arrived with, trying to force them to exit the property.
While the group was leaving, the two men, allegedly workers in the employ of Fernandez, let off a series of shots aimed at the group and Frederico, who was still filming. According to the El Espectador newspaper, nobody was hit, and the group was able to flee the scene unhurt.
~snip~
The newspaper also mentioned a recent report released by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which placed Colombia as the fifth worst country in the world in terms of impunity for the assassination of journalists. Since 1992, at least 41 journalists have been murdered in the country, according to the report.
http://colombiareports.co/italian-journalist-attacked-gunshots-northern-colombia/