Colombia - Arauca community radio station threatened by persons claiming to be paramilitaries

[Judi Lynn]

Source: REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS

Colombia - Arauca community radio station threatened by persons claiming to be paramilitaries

MONTREAL, June 3 /CNW Telbec/ - Reporters Without Borders is very worried
about the threats that have been made against Sarare Estéreo, a community
radio station based in Saravena, in the northeastern department of Arauca,
since early May. In the latest incident, on 28 May, the entrance of the
station was painted with the letters AUC - the initials of the paramilitary
alliance known as the United Self-Defence Groups of Colombia.

"An investigation must be carried out as quickly as possible to determine
whether these threats are coming from the paramilitaries and, in the meantime,
Sarare Estéreo and its staff must be given protection at once," the press
freedom organisation said. "The paramilitaries have not disarmed despite the
government's demobilisation programme. They continue to have connections
within the political class, in some cases at a very high level, and they
continue to pose a serious danger to the media, especially in the provinces."

"A detailed evaluation of the risks must be carried out and security
measures must be taken by the authorities, in coordination with journalists'
organisations and human rights groups," Reporters Without Borders added,
saying it was ready to contribute to such an initiative.

The staff of Sarare Estéreo found the letters AUC painted on the entrance
to the station on the morning of 28 May. Officially demobilised in June 2006,
the AUC is Colombia's biggest paramilitary group.

Sarare Estéreo manager Ella Patricia Ardila told Reporters Without
Borders that all of the station's staff have been getting threatening messages
signed "Arauca Self-Defence Groups" since 8 May. The messages warn them "not
to meddle in subjects that do not concern you."



Read more: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2008/03/c7730.html