Colombia’s ruling party on Sunday began another attack against journalists, this time targeting the director of one of the country’s most renowned television news programs.
The latest attack was initiated by one of the attorney’s of former President Alvaro Uribe, the leader of the far-right Democratic Center party, and quickly supported by party leaders.
The victim this time was Cecilia Orozco, the director of Noticias Uno and a columnist of newspaper El Espectador, who has been at the forefront of exposing corruption.
Uribe, his party and the government of President Ivan Duque have become increasingly aggressive against independent press that has revealed the president’s alleged involvement in rigging the 2018 elections, and the former president’s ties to paramilitary groups and the Medellin Cartel.
Press freedom in Colombia deteriorated in 2019 amid persistent aggression and self-censorship
Last year, top presidential advisers helped the CD set up a group that sought to coordinate online attacks against journalists revealing corruption and politicians criticizing the government.
The attacks intensified around the time Uribe had his first day in court for allegedly trying to manipulate witnesses who have testified he co-founded death squads in the 1990s.
The Whatsapp group was disbanded and the “uribistas” changed tactics after they were exposed by investigative journalism collective Liga Contra el Silencio in February.
How Colombia’s government officials led a political warfare campaign against journalists
Apart from the government and the far-right ruling party, also the military has stepped up aggression against the freedom of the press, which is coming under more pressure than ever since the forming of the Foundation for the Freedom of Press.
The military went as far as sending condolence cards to family members of journalists of weekly Semana while it was investigating the criminal and corruption activities of a mafia dissidence within the National Army.
The corruption reports have put the government, the military and the ruling party under increased pressure.