Cristian Herrera, editor of the legal section of La Opinión newspaper, in the northeastern city of Cúcuta, in the Norte de Santander Department, has been sending complaints to the IAPA since April that he has been a victim of harassment and assaults, which impede his work as a journalist, and he fears for his life and that of his family members.
Herrera has participated in IAPA courses on “Journalism-at-Risk,” and following his complaints, the hemispheric organization brought this to the attention on several occasions of officials in Cúcuta and the federal government asking for protection for him and other colleagues that have been threatened.
“We hope that officials react positively to avoid regrettable consequences in this case and others that have been reported in Colombia, one of the most dangerous countries to practice journalism,” warned Rafael Molina, chairman of the Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information.
The journalist holds accountable local officials in Cucutá for being the instigators of a campaign against him and other journalists in retaliation for the publication of articles on corruption in city government.
According to Molina, from El Nacional, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the Herrera case joins the list of other journalists in the city of Cucutá where a hostile environment for journalists is prevalent. He mentioned the cases of journalists Jorge Corredor, victim of an attack on April 22, during which his stepdaughter was killed, and Jesús Montes, who fled the city on May 7 after receiving a tip that he would be killed. Three journalists from RCN radio station received threats on June 10, being marked “military targets” by the guerrilla National Liberation Army (ELN).
FUENTE: nota.texto7
