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August 12, 1998
His Excellency Andrés Pastrana
President of Colombia
Bogot‡, Colombia
Your Excellency:
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to condemn the murder of
Amparo LeonorJiménez Pallares, and to urge an impartial and comprehensive investigation
into this crime.
According to local press reports and CPJ sources in Colombia, Jiménez was killed
yesterday at 6:15 a.m. in front of her home in Valledupar, Cesar department. She
was shot several times in the head by a gunman who fled on a motorcycle driven
by an accomplice. Jiménez had just returned from dropping her 11-year-old son at
school.
Jiménez, 37, had worked as a television reporter up until two months ago, when
she took a job for at the Network of Initiatives for Peace and Against War
(REDEPAZ), a national human rights organization. Prior to joining REDEPAZ,
Jiménez had worked for "En Vivo," a news magazine show, and "QAP," a nightly
news program. According to local journalists, Jiménez began receiving threats in
1996 while working on a documentary about peasants who had been displaced when a
government official appropriated land in the town of Pelaya. In the most blatant
incident, which occurred while she was filming the documentary, members of a
right-wing militia stole JiménezÕs video and tapes.
Given the history of threats against Jiménez, we fear that she was murdered
because of her work as a journalist. If so, this would make Jiménez the fourth
journalist killed in the line of duty in Colombia this year, more than in any
other country. CPJ is also investigating the murders of two other Colombian
journalists to determine if they were killed because of their work.
As an organization of journalists dedicated to the defense of our colleagues
around the world, CPJ believes that the ability of journalists to report freely
without fear of reprisal is essential for the peaceful resolution of ColombiaÕs
civil war. Because exposing abuses is the first step in creating a more just
society, those who seek to silence critical reporting through violence commit a
crime against all Colombians. We call on Your Excellency to devote the full
resources of your office to bring those responsible for the murder of Jiménez,
and the killers of the five other murdered Colombian journalists, to justice.
Sincerely,
Ann K. Cooper
Executive Director
Help Protest the Murder of Jiménez and Other Colombian
Journalists
Add your voice to CPJ's
Send a fax to:
His Excellency Andrés Pastrana
President of Colombia
Bogot‡, Colombia
Send a Fax to:
57-1-286-7434
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