Our alert released yesterday about the landmark decision to convict three Colombian officials in the 2003 murder of radio commentator José Emeterio Rivas is receiving coverage around the world today. The Associated Press has stories in both English and Spanish and the Swedish-language Medie Varlden newspaper has coverage.
New York, January 22, 2009–The convictions of three former public officials on charges of plotting the 2003 murder of Colombian radio commentator José Emeterio Rivas represent a historic step forward in the campaign to end impunity in the killings of journalists, CPJ said today. The three are the first masterminds to be convicted and imprisoned…
New York, November 21, 2008–A decision to order the arrest of renowned Colombian journalist Alejandro Santos Rubino is an act of censorship, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. A Bogotá judge ordered the arrest of Santos, the director of the national weekly newsmagazine Semana, for failing to follow the court’s instructions in a defamation…
Nelson Carvajal Carvajal, Radio Sur, August 26, 2008 Original case: April 14, 1998 Colombia’s attorney general ordered the arrest of Carlos Augusto Rojas Ortiz, president of the local Assembly in Huila province, for masterminding Carvajal’s murder in 1998, according to local news reports.
New York, August 22, 2008–Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez called for a criminal investigation of Daniel Coronell on Thursday, alleging that the journalist broke the law by not immediately disclosing a videotaped interview that allegedly links the administration to a bribery scandal. The Committee to Protect Journalists urged Colombian authorities today to dismiss Uribe’s request.
We issued the following statement today in response to Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez’ request for a criminal investigation of Colombian journalist Daniel Coronell for allegedly committing a crime by failing to disclose accusations in a videotaped interview that a former lawmaker was bribed in exchange for her vote to approve Uribe’s reelection. “We reject…
We issued the following statement today after learning that a criminal defamation suit had been brought against Colombian writer and journalist Alfredo Molano:”We are alarmed by the criminal defamation suit brought by a politically influential family against Alfredo Molano over a column in the daily El Espectador,” said Carlos Lauria, CPJ’s Americas senior program coordinator.…
A couple of weeks ago, the Colombian government admitted that during a daring hostage rescue mission–code-named Operation Check–one of its soldiers had disguised himself as a member of the Red Cross. Then last week, Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia’s defense minister, divulged that two of the soldiers had taken on the mantle of journalists. One posed…
July 29, 2008 Juan Manuel Santos Minister of Defense Carrera 54 No. 26-25 CAN Bogotá, Colombia Dear Mr. Santos: Following the successful July 2 hostage rescue operation that ended with the release of 15 captives held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), we are writing to express our concern about the fact that…