16 August 2006
RADIO PRESENTER GUNNED DOWN
Colombian authorities have been urged to thoroughly investigate the murder of community radio presenter Milton Fabián Sánchez, who was shot dead by gunmen on 9 August 2006 in the southeastern city of Yumbo.
Sánchez, 37, hosted three radio programmes for Yumbo Estéreo, two of which were civic education programmes funded by the local government ("Notas de Gestión" and "La Personería"), according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). The third, "Mesa Redonda", was a community-based opinion programme that dealt with political issues. On this show, Sánchez sometimes criticized the performance of the local government. He was once a spokesperson for the local mayor.
A journalist at Yumbo Estéreo told the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa, FLIP) that he did not know of any threats against Sánchez. Sánchez was also president of a neighbourhood community action group. He was married and had two children.
Sánchez' murder has prompted FLIP, CPJ, the Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad, IPYS), the World Association for Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) to write to Colombian authorities urging them to ensure that the perpetrators be brought to justice.
The murder comes amidst increasing attacks on Colombian journalists and the press in recent months, says FLIP. From January to March, FLIP recorded 42 violations, compared to 27 in the same period in 2005.
Since January 2006, one journalist - radio commentator Gustavo Rojas Gabalo - has been killed, while six others have been forced to flee their homes because of threats of violence, according to RSF. Paramilitary groups have also sent death threats to several civil society organisations, including FLIP and Media for Peace (Medios Para la Paz).
The threats have resulted in widespread self-censorship among journalists in areas of the country - particularly rural provinces - where guerrillas, paramilitary militias and security forces are engaged in armed conflict. Colombia is known as one of the world's most dangerous countries for journalists. According to IFJ, nearly 140 have been killed in the past 15 years.
Visit these links:
- FLIP: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/76309/
- AMARC: http://legislaciones.amarc.org/06-08-11-ColombiaAmarcCondena.htm
- IPYS: http://www.ipys.org/alertas/atentado.php?id=837
- IFJ: http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Index=4119&Language=ES
- CPJ: http://www.cpj.org/news/2006/americas/colombia11aug06na.html
- RSF: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=18556
- Untold Stories of Self-Censorship: http://www.cpj.org/Briefings/2005/DA_fall05/colombia/colombia_DA_fall_05.html
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