Journalism in Valle del Cauca – terror, economic pressure and self-censorship

[Judi Lynn]

Journalism in Valle del Cauca – terror, economic pressure and self-censorship

Published on Thursday 7 May 2015.

Terrorized and pressured economically, journalists censor themselves in the southwestern department of Valle del Cauca, according to a joint report on freedom of information in this region that Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Colombian Federation of Journalists (FECOLPER) released today.

- video -

RSF and FECOLPER have registered two murders of journalists and one attempted murder in Colombia since the start of the year, confirming the country’s status as one of the most dangerous in the western hemisphere for media personnel.

After Edgar Quintero, a journalist with local Radio Luna, was murdered in Palmira, a city in Valle del Cauca, on 2 March, the two NGOs decided to carry out a joint visit to the department to document the challenges facing journalists there.

They visited the cities of Buenaventura and Palmira from 13 to 15 March, meeting local government officials, more than 50 journalists, representatives of two journalists’ organizations and civil society representatives.

More:
http://en.rsf.org/colombia-journalism-in-valle-del-cauca-07-05-2015,47869.html

[forest444]

1. If any country ranks 128th out of 180th in press freedoms (as Colombia does),

and has a steady roster of murdered journalists, labor leaders, and educators -as Colombia does- our State Department should label such a government a 'repressive regime' deserving of sanctions - at least while these conditions last.

To do otherwise is doing ourselves a great discredit around the world, because it confirms every suspicion out there that U.S. policy makers don't give a whit about the state of freedoms and rights anywhere; but only about keeping the yeyo (and the money) flowing.