Por: Masha Medvedkov, Enviado: Oct 22 09

Regions: Colombia

Issues: Corruption, Freedom of opinion & expression

Tags: corruption, Farc, government censorship, murder, persecution, threats

**This post is part of an ongoing series that showcases users and videos from the Hub**

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"In Colombia, there is freedom of expression. You can say whatever you want, but after that they kill you or they mark you and kill you." - Manuel Rosental, Journalist in exile

Rebel groups, drug trafficking, and government corruption make independent journalism in Colombia an extremely dangerous profession. As the media is often subject to government censorship, journalists reporting on controversial issues like the armed conflict are frequently victims of threats, persecution, and sometimes death. In this video, Pulso Latino (Latin Pulse), an independent Latin American news program, talks to various independent journalists as they divulge their personal stories. Amongst them is Hollman Morris, Director of Contravia ("wrong-way" in Spanish), a television series that works to uncover Colombia's armed conflict. As Morris works to expose human rights atrocities to the international community, he has been labeled a terrorist by the government, his phones have been tapped, and he and his family have been constantly monitored. Morris and others want to show the injustices that are occurring in Colombia to create awareness and a movement towards change. Watch his story and others here:

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists' 2009 statistics, there have been 16 unsolved murders of media workers in Colombia with confirmed motives and a total of 42 murders since 1992. With journalists at risk, democratic values are also at risk. Independent media workers are also human rights defenders, breaking silences and opening the doors for democratic forums of discussion and opportunities for change. Since 1992, closed to 500 journalists have been killed worldwide with impunity. The Committee to Protect Journalists is pushing for accountability through a Global Campaign Against Impunity; they've launched a video explaining the campaign and the need for justice to be served. Get involved with this campaign and become more informed about violence against journalists in Colombia by checking out the resources below. 

Resources: 

Colombian Independent Journalism: The Case of 'Contravia'

Center for Investigative Reporting

CPJ: A Memorial for Killed Journalists, A Call to Action

CPJ: A Global Campaign Against Impunity

CPJ: Killed in 2009

Video: Christiane Amanpour on Impunity

Human Rights Watch: Colombia