(CPJ/IFEX) – According to CPJ, Oscar Garcia Calderon, journalist with the newspaper “El Espectador”, was killed on 22 February 1998. Garcia, who covered bullfights for the Bogota daily for more than two decades, had left the “El Espectador” offices at 7:30 p.m. after reporting on that day’s bullfight. Colleagues who remained at the offices received […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – According to CPJ, Oscar Garcia Calderon, journalist with the
newspaper “El Espectador”, was killed on 22 February 1998. Garcia, who
covered bullfights for the Bogota daily for more than two decades, had left
the “El Espectador” offices at 7:30 p.m. after reporting on that day’s
bullfight. Colleagues who remained at the offices received a phone call
from the office of the Attorney General later that evening, informing them
that Garcia had been killed at 8 p.m. by three gunshots: two to the head and
one to the neck. Garcia was killed close to the Attorney General’s offices,
in the residential neighborhood of Ciudad Salitre.
Although the assailants did take Garcia’s wallet, they did not take his
watch or his gold ring, making robbery an unlikely motive.
CPJ has obtained information that Garcia was conducting investigations into
the links between bullfighting and organized crime. Garcia is survived by
his wife and his four-year old daughter. CPJ is particularly concerned about
Garcia’s murder in light of the fact that four journalists have been killed
in retaliation for their work in Colombia in the last year.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to authorities:
murder
Appeals To
Alfonso Gomez Mendez
Attorney General
Santafe de Bogota, Colombia
Fax: +57 1 288 2828
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
