(FLIP/IFEX)- Gladys Barajas, president of the Colombian Photojournalists Circle for the last five years, has been receiving death threats since mid-February 2003. The threats have arrived via telephone, e-mail and letters. In one of these messages, an unidentified male voices told Barajas that she had ten days to leave the country. The death threats began […]
(FLIP/IFEX)- Gladys Barajas, president of the Colombian Photojournalists Circle for the last five years, has been receiving death threats since mid-February 2003. The threats have arrived via telephone, e-mail and letters. In one of these messages, an unidentified male voices told Barajas that she had ten days to leave the country.
The death threats began on 17 February. Attached to one of the letters was a sympathy note, expressing grief over Barajas’ death. Some days earlier, a man who identified himself as Juan K. made several calls to the Circle’s office to inquire about the president’s whereabouts and schedule. In four messages, the authors state that they do not want “more redeemers, that each journalist must pay for his or her excesses.” The messages also threaten Barajas’ family and all “unionists and defenders of press freedom.”
Barajas’ case has been reported to the governmental Journalist Protection programme with the hope that the necessary measures will be taken to protect her. Barajas and her family have fled the country.
Background Information
The Colombian Photojournalists Circle, a union that was established 53 years ago, represents more than 200 national and international photojournalists. Its activities this year have included the organisation in January of a protest to denounce the kidnapping of “Los Angeles Times” correspondents Ruth Morris and Scott Dalton by the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberacion Nacional ) in Arauca. The Circle also spoke out against the attack on “El Espectador” reporter Herminso Ruíz, who was assaulted by police while covering the bombing of the El Nogal club in Bogotá (see IFEX alert of 11 February 2003).
