(FLIP/IFEX) – On 4 February 2004, journalist Oscar Alberto Polanco Herrera was assassinated in the city of Cartago, Valle department, western Colombia. The former director and host of the CNC news programme in Cartago was shot by a hired killer as he was leaving the Cartago local television station at around noon (local time). His […]
(FLIP/IFEX) – On 4 February 2004, journalist Oscar Alberto Polanco Herrera was assassinated in the city of Cartago, Valle department, western Colombia. The former director and host of the CNC news programme in Cartago was shot by a hired killer as he was leaving the Cartago local television station at around noon (local time). His assailant fled on a motorcycle that was being driven by another individual.
Polanco Herrera was 37 years old and had worked as a journalist for more than 12 years, the last six with the Cartago television station. He hosted a segment of the CNC news programme, called “Notas de dirección”, during which he criticised a number of Cartago’s officials and institutions.
According to information gathered by FLIP, the journalist’s assassination is reportedly linked to his work on the news programme. His colleague, Juan Carlos González, told FLIP that Polanco Herrera had never mentioned having received threats.
The news programme aired on Monday to Friday, from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 pm, and was rebroadcast at 10:00 p.m. As a result of Polanco Herrera’s death, the programme will be temporarily taken off the air.
FLIP condemns Polanco Herrera’s assassination, the first in 2004, and recalls that five journalists were killed in connection with their work in 2003. The organisation will continue investigating the incident so as to better ascertain the motives behind the killing of the journalist.
For further information, contact Juliana Cano Nieto, coordinator at Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP), Calle 119B, No. 5-38, Bogotá, Colombia S.A, tel: +571 400 96 77, +571 400 96 78, fax: +571 481 63 48, e-mail: redalerta@cable.net.co, flip@cable.net.co, Internet: http://www.flip.org.co
