(FLIP/IFEX) – On 2 March 2005, a broadcast station owned by the RCN and Caracol television stations was destroyed. The incident took place at kilometre 14, on the road between Mocoa and Pasto, in Putumayo department, southern Colombia, near the border with Ecuador. According to information obtained by FLIP, several heavily-armed men overpowered the station’s […]
(FLIP/IFEX) – On 2 March 2005, a broadcast station owned by the RCN and Caracol television stations was destroyed. The incident took place at kilometre 14, on the road between Mocoa and Pasto, in Putumayo department, southern Colombia, near the border with Ecuador. According to information obtained by FLIP, several heavily-armed men overpowered the station’s only guard. They then proceeded to pour gas around the station and burned everything in the building’s interior. As a result, RCN and Caracol have been forced off the air in much of Putumayo department. It is not yet known when they will begin to operate again.
The local authorities have attributed the attack to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, FARC) guerrilla group. According to a local army commander, Colonel William Quintero, the attack was carried out by the FARC’s 32nd Front. Quintero said that any new stations built in the area should be constructed near Mocoa’s urban centre, where there is a permanent security force presence. He also noted that a similar incident occurred two years ago.
This is the third freedom of expression violation documented by the FLIP in 2005. On 13 February, Latina Estéreo radio station’s transmission tower in Puerto Asís was blown up. On 18 February, a journalist from La Dorada municipality was forced to leave the city after being threatened by paramilitaries (see IFEX alert of 3 March 2005).
Once again, FLIP condemns these attacks on the media in Putumayo. The organisation also calls on the government to ensure that these types of attacks are stopped and to investigate, capture and punish those responsible.
