(FLIP/IFEX) – On 16 December 2002, at 8:45 p.m. (local time), there was an explosion at the RCN radio station’s studio, in Valledupar, capital of Cesar department. According to the Valledupar police chief, Colonel Juan Carlos Ayala, unidentified individuals threw an explosive at the station’s office. The station remained on the air despite the attack. […]
(FLIP/IFEX) – On 16 December 2002, at 8:45 p.m. (local time), there was an explosion at the RCN radio station’s studio, in Valledupar, capital of Cesar department. According to the Valledupar police chief, Colonel Juan Carlos Ayala, unidentified individuals threw an explosive at the station’s office. The station remained on the air despite the attack. No one was injured in the explosion, which resulted in minor damages to the building. This is the eighth attack against a media outlet in 2002.
According to RCN Valledupar news director Limedes Molina, military authorities believe that urban militias of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, FARC) were responsible for the attack.
Although the radio station had not received threats directly, it had recently reinforced security measures because of recent attacks against RCN, Caracol radio and “La Opinion” newspaper in Cúcuta, and the widespread threat to media in Ocaña. RCN Valledupar manager Ubaldo Anaya said that security had been beefed up in recent months, on the recommendation of RCN’s security department in Bogotá.
This is the third time that the RCN radio chain has been targeted this year. On 18 January, the Amor radio station in Fusagasugá was bombed. According to RCN’s head of security, Ricardo Ramírez, authorities attributed the attack to FARC’s 42nd Division. On 13 November, a car bomb exploded in front of the RCN building in Cúcuta (see IFEX alert of 11 December 2002). The station had previously been targeted in 1997. Even though the exact cost of total damages is not known, Ramírez calculated the losses to be around 350 million pesos (approx. US$127,000).
FLIP called on authorities, particularly the police, to protect media outlets in Cesar, Arauca, and Santander North. Aside from the heavy economic losses incurred, attacks on media outlets’ infrastructure are used by illegal armed groups to pressure the media and prevent them from informing the public.
