Restaurant Depot Deli Meats

Colombia: 40 journalists are reported in "silence information" Mothers

The Associated Press BOGOTA

. Some 40 journalists working in Buenaventura decided on Monday to stop their activities because of threats and attacks that are being demanded of the authorities and support to exercise their craft.

campaign "silence information" was prompted by the journalists of the port of Buenaventura, Valle Cauca, about 350 miles southwest of Bogota, said in a telephone interview the journalist Manuel Barrantes, who heads the Union of Journalists of Buenaventura.

"We are 40 journalists from different media and only two media did not participate fully ... The rest are dedicated to this event and get up in the night", said Barrantes, who recalled that the authorities have not explained "the killing of 12 journalists in the course of 20 years."

Secretary of Government of Buenaventura, Ledys Torres, said in a telephone port that journalists have "full support" of the Mayor "Because our constitutional duty is to protect journalists, ladies and gentlemen." He added that his office is the doors are open to receive complaints from broadcasters.

According to Barrantes, the April 17 "we had a problem ... with guards at a new port company. They beat the journalists and damaged their cameras that they were making information about the problems posed by tractor-drivers. "

warned that the company "told us that pay the damages of the journalists and that they apologized for this situation. Apologies were given to another, but the damage from the cameras not been resolved. "

By way of Andres Morales, director of the NGO Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP)," Buenaventura has always been a region historically difficult to practice journalism. "

said that journalists were attacked by a note on the insecurity in the way leading to the port of Buenaventura, where is the Container Terminal Buenaventura (TCBUEN).

A TCBUEN outside, he said, journalists were attacked by guards company, who destroyed their houses and the material collected and wounding the journalists.

Morales told reporters that were attacked Henry Ramirez, Edwin Buitrago and Luis Eduardo Castillo. The latter was found with wounds caused by sharp weapon. The three were held at local hospitals and reported the facts to the Attorney General.

theft truckers in that road, Morales said, it is strange for the police and army presence and that the three journalists decided to make the report. The company gave saying he would investigate the facts and punish those involved.

According to FLIP, in the last 10 years there have been 34 threats against journalists in Buenaventura. Two other journalists from that port were kidnapped and two others chose into exile.