(FLIP/IFEX) – On 2 October 2005, journalist Enrique Camargo announced that he had received threats after reporting on the Counsel of State’s decision to annul the mayoral election in Aguachica, a municipality in southern Cesar department. On 10 December, he was threatened anew after reporting again on the same topic. On 9 December, Radio Guatapurí, […]
(FLIP/IFEX) – On 2 October 2005, journalist Enrique Camargo announced that he had received threats after reporting on the Counsel of State’s decision to annul the mayoral election in Aguachica, a municipality in southern Cesar department. On 10 December, he was threatened anew after reporting again on the same topic.
On 9 December, Radio Guatapurí, the station for which Camargo is news director, reported on the progress made on the Counsel of State’s ruling. Action on the ruling had been delegated to the Administrative Tribunal of Cesar department, which was supposed to reexamine the election. This same information was also announced on a local radio station in Aguachica.
The next day, 10 December, at 10:00 a.m. (local time), Camargo received a message that read: “Big fag: quit talking so much on the radio, you’re going to get out of [the city of] Valledupar, faggot, faggot.” The journalist immediately denounced David Simanca, the mayor of Aguachica, to the Attorney General for having issued the threat.
On 25 September, Galo Bravo Picossa, editor-in-chief of the newspaper “El Pilón”, was threatened for the same reason. The journalist published part of the Counsel of State’s ruling on the annulment of the election. On that occasion, departmental authorities convened a special security committee, which determined on 11 October that measures should be taken to protect the journalists.
FLIP calls upon the authorities of Cesar department to discover the authors of the threats made against Camargo and to continue investigating the threats made against Bravo.
FLIP similarly calls upon the authorities of the city of Valledupar to provide the protection to the journalists that was promised in the security committee determination of 11 October.
FLIP also expresses its concern over the increase in threats to journalists for publishing or investigating topics related to elections. The coverage by journalists of electoral developments is required for citizens to be able to make informed decisions.
