Journalist murdered in Cúcuta: second crime against press in Colombia in a month
Cristian Herrera, a member of FLIP's board, was shot by a hitman in Cúcuta on 6 June. He is the second journalist killed in Colombia in less than 30 days.
Hitman kills journalist in Cúcuta who had reported on corruption
A Colombian journalist was murdered on Saturday 6 June in Cúcuta, capital of the department of Norte de Santander, on the border with Venezuela, according to dw.com citing the Office of the Ombudsman.
The victim, Cristian Herrera, was a member of the board of directors of the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP). A hitman on a motorcycle shot him in the city; Herrera died whilst being transported to a hospital, according to local media.
"Violence strikes journalism in Colombia again," the Office of the Ombudsman stated in a communiqué published on the X network. The body indicated that Herrera "dedicated his work to reporting on matters related to impunity, organised crime, corruption and the situation in Catatumbo", a border region with Venezuela where clashes between guerrilla groups are recorded.
The journalist had government protection measures, which "failed to prevent his murder," the Ombudsman's Office specified. FLIP added on the same network that Herrera "had recently reported on acts of corruption and public order problems" in Cúcuta.
This crime occurs less than a month after the murder of Matro Pérez, a 25-year-old communicator, executed by guerrillas in Antioquia. "In less than a month, the country has lost two voices of regional journalism in contexts marked by violence and the presence of illegal armed groups," the Ombudsman's Office noted.
At least 170 journalists have been murdered in Colombia since 1977, according to FLIP. President Gustavo Petro, with two months remaining in his term and peace negotiations stalled, faces an escalation of violence that includes attacks, civilian massacres and assaults on public forces.
Source: Google News CO — Crime