Colombia

COLOMBIA Francisco Santos Calderon, El Tiempo news editor, was kidnapped by the Medellin cartel on his way home from the newspaper September 19. The chauffeur of the armored car was killed. Two weeks earlier, a team of six journalists headed by Diana Turbay, managing editor of Hoy por Hoy magazine, disappeared while seeking to interview the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla chief. The other members of the missing team are Juan Vitta, editor of Hoy par Hoy; Azucena Lievano of the Cripton television news program; cameramen Richard Becerra and Orlando Acevedo; and German correspondent Hero Buss. On August 31, a group of armed men tried to kidnap Radio Caracol news editor Yamid Amat in front of his home, but were thwarted by a passing police patrol. Although no group claimed responsibility for the kidnap attempt, it was widely believed to be the work of cocaine barons. The incidents indicate a new offensive by drug traffickers against the Colombian press after several months of apparent calm amid a change in government. On March 30, the Medellin cartel threatened to "execute" members of the Cano family, owners of El Espectador. Two days later, El Espectador suspended publication for two weeks in protest at the lack of guarantees of protection by the government. On April 20, Hernando Tavera, manager of the newspaper's circulation office in Medellin, was murdered. As a result, El Espectador suspended circulation in the city for five months. A group of journalists and crew were kidnapped by the ELN guerrilla movement between March and May and ordered to relay ELN messages. They were later freed. They were: Emilio J. Pacheco of the Ondas del Cesar radio station; Raul Montes Garcia, a Radio 2001 announcer; Jesus Medina Sossa, coordinator of the House of Representatives' "News of the Week" program; his cameraman, Luis Beltran; Mariela Marquez Quintero, Radio Caracol correspondent in Medellin; Ana Patricia Gonzalez, of La Voz de Cafiaguate; Jose Daza Sierra, Radio Valledupar announcer; and Tele-Caribe cameraman Rafael Escalona Bolaiio. On March 7, Radio Galeon of Santa Marta was silenced after its main antenna was dynamited. On May 23, the Colmundo of Medellin radio network decided to go off the air after receiving numerous threats. The Colombiano radio network made a similar decision, after several bombing attempts by the Medellin cartel. On June 28, Radio Caracol journalist Myriam Naza Sampoyoi died in Medellin, after an attack by drug traffickers in which another 13 died and 33 were wounded. All this has happened in a country where there is freedom of the press, and the government respects criticism and independence of the press. But it has fallen short of giving full guarantees for the truly free practice of journalism.