(RSF/IPYS/IFEX) – The following is a 26 November 2001 RSF and IPYS press release: RSF NETWORK 26 November 2001 COLOMBIA The press as a “military target”: armed groups against press freedom Forty journalists killed in the past ten years, about 50 abducted in the past three years and close to 30 forced into exile; as […]
(RSF/IPYS/IFEX) – The following is a 26 November 2001 RSF and IPYS press release:
RSF NETWORK
26 November 2001
COLOMBIA
The press as a “military target”: armed groups against press freedom
Forty journalists killed in the past ten years, about 50 abducted in the past three years and close to 30 forced into exile; as regards violations of press freedom, Colombia holds the dismal record for violence in all categories in South and North America. After a mission of inquiry to the country from 22 to 30 October 2001, Reporters Without Borders (RSF – Reporters sans frontières) and the Peruvian Press and Society Institute (IPYS – Instituto Prensa y Sociedad) published a report entitled “The Press as a ‘military target’: armed groups against press freedom” available on www.rsf.org
As this report shows, violent acts against the media are perpetrated primarily by armed groups and, above all, the paramilitary United Self-defence of Colombia (AUC). In several regions controlled by the AUC, the guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN – Ejército de Liberacion), or regions in which these groups are fighting for control, press freedom hardly exists. On 6 November 2001, RSF again put Carlos Castaño, Manuel Marulanda and Nicolas Rodríguez Bautista, leaders of the AUC, FARC and ELN, respectively, on the list of the 39 most dangerous predators of press freedom in the world.
On the occasion of the 11th IberoAmerican Summit on 23 and 24 November, at which 23 heads of state from Latin America, Spain and Portugal met in Lima (Peru), RSF, IPYS and the Argentine association Periodistas launched a public awareness campaign in the Latin-American press against murders of journalists in Colombia. One of the two visuals by the agency Alice is a photo of the three Colombian “predators” with the sub-title: “If you don’t know the many journalists murdered in Colombia, at least you can recognise their murderers”. Close to 20 publications have confirmed their participation.
IPYS and Periodistas are members of the RSF Network, consisting of nine regional press freedom organisations throughout the world. Its mission is to exchange information and to carry out joint actions to defend press freedom.
