August 13, 1999
His Excellency Andrés Pastrana Arango
President of the Republic of Colombia
Casa de Narino
Santa Fe de Bogotá, COLOMBIA
Your Excellency,
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to express its deep sorrow over today’s cold-blooded murder of radio journalist Jaime Garzón, one of Colombia’s most popular political humorists. CPJ urges you to ensure a thorough investigation into this killing.
At 6 a.m. this morning, as Garzón, 36, was driving his car to the Bogotá radio station Radionet where he was a morning host, two men on a motorcycle intercepted him and shot him in the head. Garzón’s biting satire and political parodies were broadcast on Radionet and a Caracol network television news program.
Garzón has been frequently threatened by Carlos Castaño, leader of the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), a right-wing paramilitary organization that is fighting against leftist guerrillas. Garzón’s colleagues have informed CPJ that the journalist had planned a meeting with Castaño tomorrow.
Many journalists in Colombia believe that Castaño ordered the murder, either because of Garzón’s journalistic work, or because of his contact with the guerrillas. Garzón served on a commission that was mediating between the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the government, and regularly negotiated for the release of victims of guerrilla kidnappings.
The AUC has put out a press release denying any responsibility in the murder.
CPJ continues to investigate to determine whether Garzón was murdered because of his work as a journalist. We urge you to do everything in your power to bring the government’s investigation to a successful conclusion, so that the authors of this crime will be duly punished.
In addition, we want to express our grave alarm at a number of other threats made against journalists by Carlos Castaño and members of the AUC.
Earlier this year, Alfredo Molano, a columnist for the Bogotá-based daily El Espectador, went into exile in Spain because of such threats. After Molano published a story in July 1998 condemning the AUC, he received a series of threatening letters from Castaño. In a letter dated December 23, Castaño noted “we have begun to dismantle the paraguerrilla in Colombia, which does more damage to the country than our declared enemies.” In a December 30 fax sent to El Espectador’s editor Rodrigo Pardo, Castaño called Molano an enemy of the nation.
In another case in which AUC involvement is suspected, Carlos Pulgarín, the Montería correspondent for the Bogotá-based daily El Tiempo, found death threats on his answering machine on June 28. The messages accused him of being a spokesman for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia FARC the other main rebel groupin Colombia. In recent articles, Pulgarín had revealed that the AUC had downplayed losses suffered in battles with the guerrillas.
The murder of Garzón has deprived all Colombians of one of the country’s most creative voices; we urge you to take action to protect the lives of all journalists in Colombia before another critical voice is lost.
Sincerely,
Ann K. Cooper
Executive Director
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His Excellency Andrés Pastrana Arango
President of the Republic of Colombia
Casa de Narino
Santa Fe de Bogotá, COLOMBIA