DIRECTOR-GENERAL EXPRESSES OUTRAGE AT MURDER OF COLOMBIAN JOURNALIST

Paris, November 19 (No.2001-126) - UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura today expressed outrage at the murder of yet another Colombian journalist, Heriberto Cardenas Escudero, a former correspondent for the Bogota dailies El Tiempo and El Espectador as well as several local radio stations.

“I am outraged by this murder, yet another tragic demonstration of the hurdles facing Colombian journalists in the exercise of their profession,” Mr Mastuura said. “It is indispensable, for the sake of freedom of expression and democracy, that the perpetrators of such crimes be brought to justice”, he declared.

Mr Cardenas Escudero was shot at least ten times in his home in Buenaventura, on November 14 by four gunmen who also killed his nephew and injured one of his brothers.

Although the identity of his killers and motive for the murder have not been established, police believe that Mr Cardenas Escudero is likely to have been murdered because of his professional work, despite the fact that he had almost ceased working as a journalist over the past year.

During the first six months of this year alone, nine Colombian journalists have been assassinated, 27 have received threats to their lives and five have gone into voluntary exile, according to the local Foundation for Press Freedom, quoted by El Espectador. According to press freedom organizations, Colombia is one of the most dangerous countries for journalists.

Over the past few years, professional media organizations have been calling for measures to prevent such crimes, in line with the resolution voted unanimously by UNESCO’s General Conference in 1997, calling on all Member States to take all necessary measures to prevent such crimes, investigate them and punish their perpetrators.

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