Urge Colombian Government to Stop Defaming Colombian Journalists

Date Issued: October 25, 2007

Three prominent journalists have been forced to flee Colombia in the last three weeks. Comments by President Uribe defaming a number of journalists have been followed by a wave of death threats against them.

President Uribe is in the habit of making comments that contribute to a climate of increased danger for journalists and human rights defenders. Such public attacks in Colombia frequently spur death squads into action. For example after President Uribe’s recent attack on Gonzalo Guillén, the journalist received over 20 death threats and was forced to flee the country.

President Uribe’s frequent attacks against journalists and his intolerance of non-violent criticism undermine freedom of expression and embolden those forces which use political violence.

Urge the President to stop making such dangerous comments and to respect the right of the media and all human rights defenders to hold and express critical opinions about the government.

Background

Virginia Vallejo recently published a book, Amando a Pablo, Odiando a Escobar (Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar), recounting events she witnessed while in a romantic relationship with the Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. The book alleges that President Uribe had close ties to Escobar, who died in 1993.

Gonzalo Guillén is Colombian correspondent for the Miami-based newspaper El Nuevo Heraldo (The New Herald). On October 2, on national radio President Uribe denied the accusations in Vallejo’s book. He then stated that Guillén was involved in authoring the book by Vallejo and that Guillén was “trying to harm” him. He further stated that Guillén had “dedicated his journalistic career to slander and lies”. Guillén denies having anything to do with the Vallejo book and claimed that he had not even read it.

Following Uribe’s accusations, Guillén received over 20 death threats by email and telephone telling him to leave the county or he would be killed. He subsequently fled the country. Guillén had previously published an unsympathetic biography of President Uribe and had reported recently on alleged connections between the Uribe administration and paramilitaries. The Colombian government had provided him with protective measures, recognizing that his journalistic work had put him at considerable risk.

On October 9, President Uribe requested a radio station to contact renowned Colombian journalist Daniel Coronell. Coronell is a columnist for the Colombian magazine Semana and director of a TV network. He recently returned to Colombia after almost two years living in exile in the United States due to death threats relating to his media coverage. For his outstanding journalism he was this year awarded Colombia’s prestigious Simon Bolivar journalism prize. In a recent Semana column he analyzed some of the alleged links between Uribe and Escobar detailed in the Vallejo book.

After insisting that the radio station locate Coronell, President Uribe engaged in a vitriolic one-hour attack, live on national radio. He called Coronell a coward, liar, swine and slanderer. He stated that Coronell “wounded” him with lies and “shield[ed] [himself] in [his] rights as a journalist.” Shortly after the episode, Coronell’s TV network received an email death threat making a veiled reference to Uribe and his displeasure towards Coronell.

Last week, two further renowned journalists, Hollman Morris and Geovanny Alvarez Castro left Colombia following death threats linked to their journalistic activities. Morris had received an email from a supposedly demobilized paramilitary group labeling him as a guerilla and threatening him with death. Alvarez had received several anonymous death threats following his reporting on local corruption. Local police had also reported a possible attempt on his life.

Further Information

HRF Press Release Saying President’s Rhetoric Endangers Activists

HRF Letter about President Uribe’s previous similar comments

Previous Letter to President Uribe re positive comments about HRDs

HRF Colombia page

Sample Letter:

S.E. Álvaro Uribe Vélez
Presidente de la República
Cra. 8 #7-26
Palacio de Nariño
Santa Fé de Bogotá
Colombia

Dear President:

I am writing to express my deep concern about recent threats against a number of Colombian journalists and your apparent role in endangering them through public comments, which in the circumstances can only be seen as irresponsible.

On October 2, on national radio you attacked journalist Gonzalo Guillén, stating that he was involved in authoring a recent book which accused you of links to decease drug lord Pablo Escobar. You said that Guillén was “trying to harm” you and had “dedicated his journalistic career to slander and lies”. Guillén denies having anything to do with the book. Following your accusations, Guillén received over 20 death threats by email and telephone telling him to leave the county or he would be killed. He subsequently fled the country. Your own government had provided him with protective measures, recognizing that his journalistic work had put him at considerable risk.

On October 9, you requested a radio station to contact renowned Colombian journalist Daniel Coronell. Coronell had only recently returned to Colombia after almost two years living in exile in the United States due to death threats relating to his media coverage. For his outstanding journalism he was recently awarded the prestigious Simon Bolivar journalism prize. After insisting that the radio station locate Coronell, you engaged in a vitriolic one-hour attack live on national radio. You called Coronell a coward, liar, swine and slanderer. You stated that Coronell “wounded” you with lies and “shield[ed] [himself] in [his] rights as a journalist.” Shortly after the episode, Coronell’s TV network received an email death threat making a veiled reference to your accusations against Coronell.

Last week, two further renowned journalists, Hollman Morris and Geovanny Alvarez Castro fled Colombia following death threats linked to their journalistic activities.

I am concerned by your comments that appear to have contributed directly to death threats against journalists and forced at least one into exile. Such consequences, even if unintended, are clearly foreseeable. High-profile and intemperate attacks against journalists undermine freedom of expression in Colombia by placing their lives in danger.

I urge you to:

1. Retract your comments about both journalists;
2. Desist from publicly attacking journalists and other non-violent government critics, including human rights defenders, who present critical opinions about the government;
3. Respect and encourage pluralism and dissent in the press, including public criticism of you and your government;
4. Promptly and thoroughly investigate the above mentioned death threats against journalists and prosecute those responsible.

Thank you for your attention in this urgent matter. I will continue to closely monitor this situation.