COLOMBIA

AUGUST 15, 2005
Posted August 18, 2005

El Informador
ATTACKED

Attackers hurled a grenade at the offices of El Informador. The newspaper said police believed a motorcycle passenger lobbed a fragmentation grenade which exploded outside the newsroom where three journalists and a designer were working. The blast damaged the building but caused no injuries.

El Informador is a family-owned daily in the port city of Santa Marta, in northern Magdalena Department. It was unclear why it was attacked.

Reporter Rafael Rodríguez Santana, who was in the office during the attack, said no one had claimed responsibility. Rodríguez said the newspaper had recently published articles on the capture of alleged paramilitary combatants and the detention of public officials accused of corruption.

Joana Romero, an editor, said the staff had received no threats and journalists were surprised by the attack.