The Foundation for Freedom of the Press (Flip) made a new call to the President of the Republic, Gustavo Petro. Through a statement, the organization denounced that the president promotes a negative image of the press and media, This contributes to undermining the credibility and putting pressure on the positioning of its media agenda.
The Flip He asserted that Petro interferes in the coverage of the media contrary to his interests. A reiterated attitude that was evidenced again on May 10, when the president stated on his Twitter account that “Paramilitarism was nothing more than an alliance of drug trafficking with a large part of the political and economic power of Colombia and a sector of the traditional press to unleash genocide on the people.”
“It is not the first time that the President interferes in the free exercise of the press. His criticisms and rebuttals have been constant since the beginning of his government, nine months ago. He has insisted on holding the media responsible for various conducts, including criminal acts, to invalidate their denunciations and reports of public interest. Likewise, he has maintained that there is a disinformation campaign orchestrated or supported by journalism that reports on his management, ”said the Flip.
The Flip She was emphatic in pointing out that the accusations have affected journalists, whom the president singles out through his social networks, raising their risk levels. The situation is particularly adverse in a country like Colombia, where historically there have been high levels of violence against the press.
The organization recalled that in the last seven months three communicators in the country (Rafael Moreno, Wilder Córdoba and Luis Gabriel Pereira) were assassinated. In the most recent case, it happened in Ciénaga de Oro, the Flip suspects that the death is related to the professional activity of the victim.
The foundation stated that the attitude of Petro is not consistent with the announcement of the Ministry of Interior, to build a public policy with the objective of guaranteeing the work and task of Colombian journalists. They reminded him of the duty of prudence to which he is subjected, as he holds the head of State.
A fact supported by Constitutional courtan organization that has stated that the president does not exercise “the simple freedom of expression generally recognized to citizens, but that they are using a legitimate means to exercise public authority.”
“From FLIP we reiterate that the constitutional duty of President Gustavo Petro, as president, is to send a message of support to the press, adopt urgent, adequate and efficient measures to generate an optimal space for social debate using institutional channels, as well as promote and adopt the guarantees for public and press oversight on the public function and government management” They accused.
They reiterated that the constitutional duty of the president is to support the press, through the adoption of “urgent, adequate and efficient” measures that allow the creation of an adequate social climate for debate, through institutional channels. As well as guarantee the oversight and control tasks of the government.
Finally, it was highlighted that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has indicated that among the risks for the press in Latin America is the participation of public officials and political figures in processes of undermining trust in the media. They also asked the IACHR’s Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (Rele) to rule on the president’s actions.
“The fact that journalism is the central focus of the President’s interventions spreads a tension that can have undesirable repercussions. In this sense, we ask President Petro to recognize and publicly affirm the central role of a free press in a democracy and to refrain from issuing messages that harm the independence of the media,” they concluded.
