In 2008, there were 130 recorded violations of press freedom, according to Colombia’s Freedom of Press Foundation (FLIP). This means a reduction of 20 percent in comparison with 2007.
The FLIP, in Spanish known as Fundación Para la Libertad de Prensa, announced this in an official report this week.
In 2007, 162 journalists became victim of some sort of violation of press rights. A year later, that number had decreased to 130. Moreover, not a single journalist was assassinated for professional reasons last year.
FLIP director Carlos Cortes did tell Caracol Radio that some of the worst regions for journalists at the moment are Santander, Valle del Cauca and Tolima, where self-censorship continues to be common.
In Santander, the violence and threats are particularly caused by paramilitary groups. In Valle del Cauca it concerns mostly drug traffickers while in Tolima, the public force (police) appears to have a bad influence on press freedom.
Where as in the past most threats came from paramilitaries and the farc, public forces now dominate the rankings on a national level.
The FLIP will officially release their report at a press event in Bogotá, next Monday.