THE freeing of from Ingrid Betancourt, the former Colombian presidential candidate from her jungle captivity was not a good thing. I don’t mean to suggest I’m not delighted she is free and returned from years of hell to her family. But the nature of her release leaves me deeply worried.
While her dramatic rescue by Colombian soldiers made breaking news on television and headlines across the globe, fewer media covered the subsequent serious concerns raised by humanitarian organisations and media freedom campaigners.
The story of Ingrid being spirited away from the clutching arms of terrorists is, on the face of it, an uplifting one. But behind it lurks a darker secret. Her rescuers deceived her FARC captors by posing as Red Cross workers and Telesur journalists. Ingenious. Daring. And dangerous.
For weeks, the Colombian authorities had denied that the soldiers had dressed up, but they were forced to admit it after CNN broadcast leaked footage of the operation. It also became apparent that the disguises had been planned all along as part of the operation and that some of the troops involved had been given classes on how to impersonate journalists and humanitarian workers.
The Colombian army’s actions have saved one life but put at risk many more. Every legitimate journalist covering the Colombian conflict will now be in greater danger thanks to the actions of Alvaro Uribe’s government. And so while the President basks in the warm glow of Western governments, coverage of the conflict will suffer. The army will be able to carry out its murderous actions away from the prying eyes of the media.
Colombia already held the unenviable accolade of being the most dangerous country in the world for journalists over the past decade. Since Uribe came to power, a number of journalists have been murdered. Impunity in the killing of journalists runs at virtually 100 per cent.
Journalists face arbitrary detention, kidnapping, death threats and murder. Colombia’s journalists need support and protection not to be pushed further in to the firing line.
Uribe’s plan was a masterstroke aimed at gaining short-term political advantage. Not only are journalists less likely now to risk covering the conflict, but by posing as a journalist from Telesur – the station partly funded by Hugo Chávez – he has made the FARC distrust anyone claiming to be a Telesur journalist. It’s frightening in its chilling evil – a double whammy.
On July 25, responding to reporters’ questions, defence minister Juan Manuel Santos said that Colombia would not apologise to Telesur over the incident as “it was not important” and the use of their logo was “insignificant detail given the magnitude of the results”. This attitude is indicative of the Colombian regime’s disregard for journalists’ safety.
But the current attack on journalism in Colombia goes much deeper than this and is even more chilling in its purpose. Many leading trade unionists, opposition politicians and human rights workers currently face trial over claims they have helped the FARC or other armed actors.
Among those charged are Carlos Lozano, the editor of Voz, the only opposition daily newspaper in Colombia, and a reporter from Telesur.
Carlos Lozano’s case has been taken up by media organisations around the world, including the International Federation of Journalists.
He and his paper have a proud record of reporting on corruption, human rights violations, abuses of labour rights and the activities of the political opposition in Colombia – making it stand apart from the rest of the mainstream Colombian press.
As a result of the newspaper’s reporting the Colombian regime has implemented a systematic campaign of violence against those associated with Voz. This campaign has included the assassination of several Voz reporters, including Manuel Cepeda who was Dr Lozano’s predecessor as editor.
The offices of the paper have been bombed, distributors threatened and death threats are regularly received by staff and others associated with the paper. Dr Lozano himself receives frequent threats and has been the victim of several assassination attempts. As a result, he is forced to travel in an armoured car with a group of bodyguards at all times.
This latest move isn’t about stopping rebellion. It is about extinguishing opposition to the regime.
Yet Western governments appear not to want to acknowledge the facts about this latest outrage against democratic rights. Nothing must be allowed to overshadow the celebrations of another “victory’ in the war on terror.
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Don’t forget the effect this will have on any negotiations for the release of the other hostages the FARC is holding. The Colombian army not only posed as Red Cross workers, they also deceived the local guerrilla unit by posing as a prisoner exchange mission organized by Venezuela. Chavez had already been successful negotiating the release of other hostages, and that would have continued but is probably impossible now. So Ms Betancourt’s life – and perhaps more importantly, the lives of the three American agents – have been traded for the rest of the FARC’s captives, who number at least in the dozens. No one even knows who they are – and none of them are politicians.
Yes, it is true! Uribe’s regime does not allow now, any kind of opposition…
As I do not want to be threatened my name is:
Elisa