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Colombia's Worst Enemy of the Press, Carlos Castaño
By
The Committee to Protect Journalists
The
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in New York has released
a special report titled "Bad Press" on right-wing
paramilitary leader Carlos Castaño's brutal campaign
against journalists in Colombia.
In a
briefing, CPJ's Washington representative Frank Smyth details
how Castaño —whose group, the United Self-Defense
Forces of Colombia (AUC), was formally designated as a terrorist
organization by the U.S. State Department this month—
uses violence, intimidation, and even murder to control the
local media.
The ruthless,
longtime leader of the AUC confessed earlier this year to
having journalists killed. "Over the course of its existence
the AUC has executed two local journalists who were in fact
guerrillas," Castaño said.
In addition,
Smyth writes that during the last two years "forces under
Castaño's command have been linked to the murders of
at least four journalists, the abduction and rape of one reporter,
and threats against many others."
At the
same time, the paramilitary leader has launched a charm offensive
by using the same local press he attacks to bolster his public
image. He has made himself freely available to both domestic
and foreign reporters, garnering major public attention in
the process.
In May
2001, CPJ named Carlos Castaño one of the world's 10
worst enemies of the press. "Bad Press" reveals
in vivid detail why he received that dubious honor.
For the
complete report and for more information on press issues in
Colombia, visit www.cpj.org.
The Committee
to Protect Journalists is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit
organization that works to safeguard press freedom around
the world.
(September
27, 2001)
Links to related site
The
Committee to Protect Journalists
Autodefensas
Unidas de Colombia
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