Bogotá, May 8, 2026—Colombian authorities must thoroughly investigate the disappearance of journalist Mateo Pérez Rueda, determine if he was targeted for his work, and bring those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Pérez was last seen on Tuesday near the town of Briceño in Antioquia department in northwest Colombia where he was reported to have been detained at a roadblock by members of the 36th Front, the guerrilla group that controls much of the zone, Natalia López of the Bogotá-based Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) told CPJ.
“Colombian authorities must promptly determine the whereabouts of Mateo Pérez Rueda and take all necessary measures to ensure his safe return,” said Cristina Zahar, CPJ Latin America program coordinator, in São Paulo. “The state has a responsibility to guarantee secure conditions nationwide, enabling journalists to carry out their work freely and without fear of retaliation.”
Pérez, 25, editor of the online news site El Confidente in the nearby town of Yarumal, traveled to Briceño to cover combat between the Colombian army and the 36th Front, which is a dissident faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) that re-armed following a 2016 peace treaty that demobilized most FARC fighters.
Briceño security secretary William Londoño told Bogotá-based Caracol Noticias that he had advised Pérez not to travel to the town due to risks but that the journalist ignored his warning. According to Lodoño, rebels are refusing to allow humanitarian groups to enter the zone to search for Pérez.
“He remains disappeared, but we are doing all we can to find him,” Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said in a Thursday news conference. Sánchez also announced rewards totaling $940 million Colombian pesos ($252,000 USD) for the capture of Neider Yesid Uñates López and John Edison Chala Torrejano, two rebel leaders with the 36th Front.