The following is a 14 March 2000 RSF press release: RSF asks the FARC to account for the existence of a plan to assassinate journalist Francisco Santos In a letter to Manuel Marulanda, the commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, FARC), Reporters sans frontières (RSF) declared its “profound […]
The following is a 14 March 2000 RSF press release:
RSF asks the FARC to account for the existence of a plan to assassinate journalist Francisco Santos
In a letter to Manuel Marulanda, the commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, FARC), Reporters sans frontières (RSF) declared its “profound preoccupation over a plan – attributed to the FARC- to assassinate Francisco Santos, the existence of which has forced the journalist to seek exile”. The international press freedom organisation asked the armed group leader to “provide an explanation” for this assassination attempt. It also urged Marulanda to “put an end to violations against press freedom committed by the FARC” and stated that such violations are “incompatible with the Colombian peace process”. RSF also made another call for the liberation of journalist Guillermo Cortés. On 22 January, Cortés, the director of the editorial board for the television news programme Hora Cero, was kidnapped by the FARC.
On 11 March 2000, Santos, editor-in-chief of the daily “El Tiempo”, left Colombia after authorities confirmed the existence of a plan to assassinate him. The plan was allegedly set in motion by Henry Castellanos (nicknamed “Romaña”), one of the leaders of FARC units in central Colombia which have been responsible for numerous kidnappings. It is suspected that Hugo Coscuez ManchÃ, the leader of the FARCâs Twenty-Second Front, as well as several criminal organisations, were involved in the creation of the assassination plan.
Santos is the president of the Free Country Foundation (Fundacion PaÃs Libre), an organisation committed to ending kidnapping. He was likely targetted because of his strong stance against kidnapping, particularly ransom-kidnapping committed by the FARC to fund their armed struggle. Santos created the Free Country Foundation after his ordeal of being held hostage by Pablo Escobar for eight months in 1990. In the last twelve months, the Foundation has recorded 3000 kidnappings, as a result of which kidnappers earned some US$200 million in ransom money.
In a 17 February letter to Raúl Reyes, FARC spokesperson, RSF condemned the numerous violations against press freedom committed by the armed group. On 3 December 1999, Pablo Emilio Medina, cameraman for the television station TV Garzon in the Huila department, was attacked by members of the FARC. In the last two years, the FARC has kidnapped seventeen journalists, often with the intent to force the media to publicise a press release or condemn extortions committed by the Colombia United Self Defense Groups (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, AUC), an extreme right-wing paramilitary group. The most recent journalist to be kidnapped by the FARC was Cortés, who was abducted on 22 January, likely in exchange for ransom. In its letter to Reyes, RSF also condemned the declarations made by Marulanda on 29 January, in which he referred to outstanding “debts” which media heads owe the FARC and threatened to “collect” these debts.
RSF notes that in 1999 seven journalists were assassinated in Colombia and at least nine were forced into exile after being threatened by the different armed groups. In the past ten years, a total of fifty-eight journalists have been assassinated in Colombia.
