Miami (September 21, 2021) - The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) condemned the murder of journalist Marcos Efraín Montalvo in Colombia. The organization urged the authorities to investigate quickly and thoroughly to find out the motive and prosecute those responsible for the crime.
On Sunday night, September 19, Montalvo died after the attack by an unknown gunman, who shot him several times and fled with another person on a motorcycle. Montalvo was in a store in the municipality of Tuluá, in the department of Valle del Cauca. According to local media, the journalist with more than 40 years of experience died at the scene.
On behalf of the organization, IAPA President Jorge Canahuati and the Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information chairman, Carlos Jornet, expressed "condolences to the journalist's family and colleagues."
Canahuati, executive president of Grupo Opsa in Honduras, and Jornet, editor of the newspaper La Voz del Interior in Argentina, said: "The authorities must investigate the crime urgently. They must find out if the murder was motivated by his professional activity. They must also determine responsibilities and prevent from going unpunished."
According to the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP), Montalvo worked as an independent journalist on two Facebook pages for several years. He published information on political issues, local and regional administrative management, and the security situation in the municipality.
Eight other journalists have been murdered this year in the Americas: six in Mexico and one each in Haiti and Ecuador. Another reporter remains missing in Mexico.
IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere; and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.
