Colombia has been identified as the second deadliest country in Latin America for journalists, according to the newly released 2024 Annual Report, which warns of a persistent climate of violence, censorship, and intimidation against the independent press.
The report, published this week, documents a troubling pattern of stigmatization from the highest levels of government. It states that the President of the Republic and senior officials have led public smear campaigns against journalists and media outlets, using offensive language and public attacks that delegitimize their work and place media professionals at risk.
In addition, the report denounces the systematic use of public media as a tool for government propaganda. These state-funded platforms have been instrumentalized to amplify official narratives while excluding critical voices and limiting media pluralism.
Despite the recent signing of a presidential directive aimed at safeguarding freedom of expression, official attacks and discrediting of the press have continued in an open and repeated manner.
In response, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has urged the Colombian government to immediately halt these practices and to adopt concrete measures to ensure compliance with inter-American human rights standards. The Commission stressed the need to guarantee safe and independent conditions for both traditional and digital media to operate freely.
As part of its follow-up, the IACHR also announced the upcoming release of a country-specific report on Colombia. The report, based on an official visit in April 2024, will provide deeper analysis of the documented violations and offer urgent recommendations to reverse the erosion of press freedom in the country.
The situation outlined in the report underscores the structural challenges facing journalism in Colombia, where official rhetoric increasingly serves as a mechanism of pressure and silencing. WAN-IFRA joins the call to strengthen safety and freedom conditions for the press, to ensure that media can fulfil their democratic role without fear of retaliation.
