Colombian journalists flee homes after receiving threats

Bogotá, February 1, 2013--Authorities in Colombia should ensure the safety of two journalists who have fled the northern city of Montería after being threatened for their reporting on criminal groups, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Amilkar Alvear, a reporter for the daily El Heraldo and its sister newspaper, Al Día, and Jairo Cassiani, a photographer for the same outlets, fled Montería on Monday after receiving a note at the El Heraldo offices that threatened them with death if they did not leave the city within 48 hours, according to news reports. The note was signed by individuals claiming to be members of the Urabeños, one of Colombia's largest criminal organizations, the reports said. The Urabeños includes former paramilitaries who once fought Marxist guerrillas but are now dedicated to drug trafficking and other crimes.

The note, which included a picture of an automatic rifle at the top, said the two journalists were being threatened for their coverage of the Urabeños, according to CPJ's review of the note. It arrived the day after a January 27 story in Al Día that announced the arrest of two alleged bodyguards for one of the top Urabeños leaders. Although Alvear and Cassiani did not work on that specific story, they covered police, crime, and the courts for the newspapers and often wrote about the arrests and trials of members of the Urabeños.

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"Fear and self-censorship are a constant among provincial journalists in Colombia, and because attacks are rarely investigated, journalists take these kinds of threats very seriously," said Joel Simon, CPJ's executive director. "Colombian authorities must guarantee the safety of Alvear and Cassiani but also take action to ensure that those who use threats and violence to stifle information face the legal consequences."

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