Journalist remains in captivity
The following is a 15 February 2000 CPJ press release: COLOMBIA: JOURNALIST REMAINS IN CAPTIVITY New York, Feb. 15, 2000—CPJ is deeply concerned about the safety of Guillermo Cortés, editorial director of “Hora Cero,” a nightly television news program broadcast on Canal A in Bogotá, who was kidnapped on January 22. While no one has […]
Journalist killed
On 12 February 2000, Prensa Libre, a network for the defence of press freedom and the protection of Colombian journalists, reported on the Wednesday 9 February murder of journalist Antonio Gomez Gomez by unknown assailants. Gomez was shot to death in his home, just moments after watching television with his wife Yaneth Castelar and twenty-five […]
Press vehicles attacked
(IFJ/IFEX) – On 14 February 2000, Prensa Libre, a network for the defence of press freedom and the protection of journalists in Colombia, informed IFJ of an attack on two press vehicles owned by the radio stations RCN and Radio Caracol. The attack was allegedly committed by the Carlos Alberto Buitrago group within the National […]
Journalist killed
On 7 February 2000, Prensa Libre, a network for the defence of press freedom in Colombia, reported that John Restrepo Abello, cameraman for Barrancabermeja’s local television channel, was assassinated by unknown individuals in Giron, province of Santander. Restrepo was killed in the home of his brother, Leonardo Favio Abello, who was also killed. As of […]
CPJ concerned about safety of kidnapped journalist
CPJ is gravely concerned for the safety of Guillermo Cortés, director of “Hora Cero,” a nightly television news program broadcast on Canal A in Bogotá. Cortés was kidnapped on January 22 and has not been heard from since. Local journalists informed CPJ that six armed men kidnapped Cortés, known to colleagues as “La Chiva” (Scoop), […]
Journalist victim of assassination attempt
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Colombian Minister of the Interior Nestor Humberto Martínez Neira, RSF “protested the attack against Edgardo Montenegro, of the “El Caleño” daily”. The organisation called on the Colombian minister to “open an inquiry into the incident” and “to please keep RSF informed on the developments (of the inquiry).” In the […]
Peruvian government to provide security for threatened Colombian journalist
The following is a 21 January 2000 IPYS press release: Government to provide security for threatened Colombian journalist As was earlier reported by the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS) on 12 January, Colombian journalist Carlos Pulgarín, who had taken refuge with IPYS in Lima, received two death threats via telephone calls to our office. […]
Colombian journalist receives threats while in Peru
(IPYS/IFEX) – Carlos Augusto Pulgarín Guevara, a correspondent with the “El Tiempo” daily, the most important daily in Colombia, was forced to flee his country and take refuge with IPYS in Peru. Pulgarín, a 29 year old Colombian journalist and father of a three-year old child, left Colombia with the help of several international organisations, […]
Cameraman killed in leftist rebel attack
On Saturday 4 December 1999, Pablo Emilio Medina Motta, a cameraman with the regional television station TV Garzon, was killed by multiple shots to the head and back when more than 100 leftist guerrillas stormed the town of Gigante in Huila Department. Six other people died and twenty were wounded in the attack. Medina Motta, […]
CPJ deeply concerned about murder of journalists
**Updates IFEX alert of 30 November 1999** (CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is deeply concerned about the 28 November 1999 murder of cameramen Alberto Sánchez Tovar and Luis Alberto Rincon Solano outside the town of El Playon, in the north-eastern department of Santander. On the morning of 28 November, the two cameramen left Bucaramanga, capital of Santander […]
Two journalists murdered
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Attorney General Alfonso Gomez Méndez, Robert Ménard, RSF’s secretary-general, “expressed his profound anger over the assassination of Luis Alberto Rincon and Alberto Sánchez Tovar” on Sunday 28 November 1999. Ménard asked the attorney general to “assign the investigation to the Human Rights Department that is under his administration,” and […]
Daily newspaper victim of bombing in Cali
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter addressed to Colombian Minister of the Interior Nestor Humberto Martínez Neira, Robert Ménard, RSF’s secretary-general, expressed his “serious concern” over the bombing of the offices of the daily “El Tiempo”, in Cali. In his letter, RSF’s secretary-general, who “believes that this criminal action represents a severe attack on press freedom,” […]
Newspaper office bombed in Cali
(CPJ/IFEX) – In a 17 November 1999 letter to Colombian President Andrés Pastrana, CPJ protested the 14 November bomb attack on the Cali offices of the daily “El Tiempo”. CPJ also expressed concern for the deteriorating press freedom climate and urged the president to place the safety of journalists on the agenda of the ongoing […]
Rebels seize seven journalists in Cesar
(CPJ/IFEX, New York) – CPJ is deeply concerned for the safety of seven Colombian journalists and their driver, who were kidnapped by leftist guerrillas on 10 November 1999 while traveling to cover a right-wing paramilitary attack in Atánquez, in the northern department of Cesar. Local sources informed CPJ that the journalists left the Cesar capital […]
Leftist rebels free kidnapped photographer
(CPJ/IFEX) – Reuters stringer Henry Romero, kidnapped by the Colombian National Liberation Army (ELN) on 26 October 1999 as punishment for having published a photo of a rebel commander’s face, was freed near the town of Suárez. He reached his hometown, Cali, at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday evening, after walking and riding for two days. **Updates […]
Leftist rebels free seven journalists, Reuters photographer still in captivity
(CPJ/IFEX) – Seven cameramen and reporters kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were released on 2 November 1999. **Updates IFEX alerts of 2 November and 28 October 1999** The journalists were set free in the afternoon of 2 November near Barrancabermeja, an important oil-refining center. Concern for the journalists’ safety had been […]