Death threats to journalists increasing in Colombia

[Judi Lynn]

Death threats to journalists increasing in Colombia
Saturday, 09 April 2011 09:55
Kathryn Thompson

Death threats against Colombian journalists have increased over the past six months, according to the Inter American Press Association report.

While noting that in the past six months there were no cases of journalist murders in Colombia, the report found that "major attacks on freedom of expression are being presented as death threats against journalists in Colombia."

The report on freedom of expression in Latin America was presented in California during a three day conference.

Death threats are a "worrying phenomenon because they have been growing again in recent months, according to reports from the various agencies that deal with the issue," the paper said, citing reports from numerous journalism associations.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/15486-death-threats-to-journalists-increasing-in-colombia.html

[naaman fletcher]

1. Is inter american press association reliable? nt.

[joshcryer]

2. I guess it depends on whether or not you agree with them?

Cuba: http://www.sipiapa.org/v4/index.php?page=det_informe&asamblea=46&infoid=803&idioma=us

Venezuela: http://www.sipiapa.org/v4/index.php?page=det_informe&asamblea=46&infoid=817&idioma=us

Colombia: http://www.sipiapa.org/v4/index.php?page=det_informe&asamblea=46&infoid=801&idioma=us

Hondorus: http://www.sipiapa.org/v4/index.php?page=det_informe&asamblea=46&infoid=809&idioma=us

United States: http://www.sipiapa.org/v4/index.php?page=det_informe&asamblea=46&infoid=806&idioma=us

I think they appear balanced.

[Zorro]

9. I concur with your assessment

They also appear balanced to me.

[joshcryer]

6. Here's the AP article that cites Inter American Press Associations full conference:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ixjJ1SnLa-XgzBhfeKcWWYFfyScQ?docId=CNG.bbcb4ef9a1162a2d7864b56a3d48a80a.161

[Judi Lynn]

3. Paramilitaries Launch New Wave of Threats against Colombian Journalists

Paramilitaries Launch New Wave of Threats against Colombian Journalists

Tuesday 22 March 2011, by Monica Medel - The Knight Center for Journalism

Reporters without Borders (RSF) reports that it has received a copy of a new set of threats against journalists and human rights activists in Colombia from the Black Eagles paramilitary group, which for the last five years has engaged in acts of violence and intimidation against the press.

According to RSF, the message came via email from “fenixaguilasnegras” (fenix black eagles) and called five journalists “military targets:” Claudia Julieta Duque, Daniel Coronell, Marcos Perales Mendoza, and Hollman Morris – a group that had been previously threatened in February.

The Colombian Federation of Journalists (Fecolper), whose president was among those threatened, said that another paramilitary group, Los Urabeños, sent a threatening phone call to Enlace Televisión reporter Mónica Arcella, who is based in Barrancabermeja, Santander (near a recent attack against a TV crew).

The Federation of Latin American and Caribbean Journalists (FEPALC) demanded progress from the Colombian government in the investigations into the February threats.

More:
http://alborada.net/medel-colombia-journalists-paramiltaries-220311

[Judi Lynn]

4. Journalists Targeted in Paramilitary Threats

Journalists Targeted in Paramilitary Threats
News from Colombia | on: Monday, 28 February 2011

On the 15th of February five Colombian journalists, along with two human rights organisations, received emailed death threats from the paramilitary group, ‘Black Eagles Central Command’. The targeted journalists include Claudia Duque, an honorary member of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Eduardo Marquez, the President of the Colombian Federation of Journalists.

Hollman Morris, Daniel Coronell, Marcos Perales Mendoza, Claudia Julieta Duque and Eduardo Marquez were sent an email from a gmail account which read “the time has come to exterminate and eliminate all those people that pretend to defend human rights” and accused them of being ‘demobilised’ guerrillas.

The threats were condemned by the NUJ, whose President, Jeremy Dear said “The violent threats to journalists in Colombia are vicious and abhorrent. The individuals and organisations involved in these attacks and repressive actions should be brought to justice. We will not accept the situation where human rights violators continue to enjoy immunity in an atmosphere of severe human rights abuses, intimidation and death.”

The threats form part of a policy of stigmatisation of human rights defenders and critics of the government. Last month Former President Alvaro Uribe Velez insulted Coronell on Twitter calling him a "Journalist mafioso" adding that thanks to his government, Daniel Coronell had 4 bodyguards and an armoured vehicle. Coronell replied, also on Twitter, that Uribe was putting him at risk by exposing the specifics of his protection measures. He clarified that he was granted 2 bodyguards as protection by President Pastrana (previous to Uribe) after receiving death threats. The threats came after Coronell reported that planes found in 1990 on the ranch of drug trafficker Pablo Escobar had received flying licenses issued by then Director of Aeronautics, Alvaro Uribe Velez. More recently, Coronell has been exposing the scandal of the illegal surveillance and persecution against journalists, magistrates, members of the opposition and human rights defenders carried out by the Colombian secret police (DAS).

More:
http://www.justiceforcolombia.org/news/article/908/journalists-targeted-in-paramilitary-threats

[Judi Lynn]

5. Colombia: Death threats against human rights defenders and journalists

Colombia: Death threats against human rights defenders and journalists
Posted on 2011/02/21

On 15 February 2011, an email containing death threats was received by a number of human rights defenders and journalists including Messrs Eduardo Márquez, Hollman Morris, Daniel Coronell, Marcos Perales Mendoza and Ms Claudia Duque, and human rights organisations including the Movimiento de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes) and the Corporación Colectivo de Abogados José Alvear Restrepo - CCAJAR (José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers' Collective).

Further Information
The threatening email, which is signed by the right-wing paramilitary group “Aguilas Negras” (Black Eagles), declares that “the hour has arrived to exterminate and annihilate all the people and organisations who try to pass for human rights defenders,” including international NGOs, journalists, women's organisations, and those working with Internally Displaced Persons, claiming all of the above are in fact demobilised members of leftist guerrilla movements such as the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia - FARC (Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces).

The email then goes on to declare the group's intention to assassinate a long list of individuals including numerous human rights defenders, journalists, and members of human rights organisations (see full list below), before stating “we know where you live, where you go and with whom, and we know that you keep meddling in things that don't concern you <…> we hope that this time it's clear that we will continue with you.”

Front Line believes that these death threats are directly related to the legitimate human rights work carried out by Eduardo Márquez, Hollman Morris, Daniel Coronell, Marcos Perales Mendoza, Claudia Duque, MOVICE and CCAJAR and all of the others named in the aforementioned threats.

http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/14521

[rabs]

7. The IAPA

is known in Latin American progressive circles as "a club of reactionary momios." (momios = mummies)

Think Edwards of El Mercurio, Noble of Clarin -- i.e. the owners of the major traditional newspapers down there.

As for the IAPA members in the United States -- mostly clueless about what happens in LatAm.

But they all like to meet all over the hemisphere to wine, dine and bitch about Hugo Chavez, Evo Morales, and now Rafa Correa.

[Judi Lynn]

8. You're so right. Augustine Edwards, and his son are both on the board of directors,

etc. Learned so long ago he had heavy financing for his El Mercurio from Nixon's CIA, as well as CIA working in his papers and radio stations, etc., helping to lay down the stories about how horrible Allende was, prior to his election, hoping to prevent it, and during his Presidency, to highlight the damage they had done to his government, and blame it on him, to mold public perception against him.

It was sickening, disgusting, seeing it verified time and time again that Richard Nixon told his CIA guy, Richard Helms, I think, who put it into the record, that he wanted him to "make the economy scream" in Chile. They got their wish, didn't they?

You'd think Edwards would be too ashamed of his own life to be seen in public, but at the moment we know there are still a lot of these fascist relics tottering around, still unbroken, and still not confronted leagally for their sins against their own people, the owner/publisher of Clarin, as well.

That would really be one great time, wouldn't it? Meeting in Miami and elsewhere to gossip and scheme over the new leftists they hope to destroy? Hope their lives will grind them into a fine powder before they get to "rest in peace."

[Judi Lynn]

10. Courage, journalism and oppression in Colombia

Courage, journalism and oppression in Colombia

Submitted by Simon Barrow on 9 April 2011 - 12:13pm Crime and JusticePeople and PowerColombiahuman rightsjournalismNational Union of JournalistsBlogCourage, journalism and oppression in Colombia

Some 23 journalists have been threatened with imprisonments, killings and disappearances in Colombia over the past three months. Fifty-seven have been on a 'hit list' during the past 12 months. There have been 1,400 attacks against media workers. The reason? They are exposing government complicity in massive human rights abuses in the country, and challenging the silence and complicity around this.

The reality of life under a 'security state' has been spelt out in graphic and moving terms by Claudia Julieta Duque at the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) annual delegate meetin in Southport on Saturday 9 April - which is also, as it happens, the 62nd anniversary of the execution of Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Nazi Germany. Acting and speaking for truth and justice is truly a life and death issue.

Last year Claudia told the International Women's Media Foundation (http://www.iwmf.org/), "“I knew they assassinated journalists. Since the 1980s, there have been 140 journalists killed in Colombia. Clearly I knew it was dangerous, yet I never expected to experience this en carne propia in the flesh. I never thought I would be the victim of so many difficult situations.”

In the two decades since Duque began her career as an investigative reporter, the 49-year-old winner of the 2010 Courage in Journalism Award has been abducted, robbed and threatened with death.

More:
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/14531