The International Press Institute (IPI) strongly condemns the killing of Colombian journalist and press freedom defender Cristian Herrera, and calls on Colombian authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable. We urge authorities to take immediate action to strengthen protections for journalists at risk.
Herrera was on June 6 by an armed individual on a motorcycle in the Colombian city of C煤cuta, near Colombia鈥檚 border with Venezuela, while he was with his wife and daughter. On June 9, believed to be involved in the murder, including the alleged hitman, were arrested by local authorities.
Herrera, an award-winning journalist, was the founder and editor-in-chief of local digital media outlets C煤cuta Real and C煤cuta al Rojo Vivo. He was also a well-known , serving as a board member of the Fundaci贸n para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP), and as FLIP鈥檚 correspondent in the Colombian department of Norte de Santander.
“The murder of Cristian Herrera is one of the telling examples of the crisis in protections for journalism in Colombia,” said Sof铆a Jaramillo, Executive Director of FLIP, in a statement to IPI. “Cristian was a journalist deeply committed to reporting on corruption and the expansion of criminal activity, but he was also a local reporter, close to his community and attentive to the realities on the ground 鈥� a form of local journalism that is increasingly difficult and dangerous to practice.”
Throughout his decades-long journalistic career, Herrera had faced many threats in retaliation for his reporting on the connections between official corruption, organised crime, and drug trafficking. In 2004, he was Colombia for Chile after receiving threats to his life. In 2017, Herrera survived an assassination attempt.聽
Since 2014, he has reportedly received threats to his life, and was assigned a protective detail under Colombia鈥檚 National Protection Unit (UNP). His bodyguards were at the time of his June 6 murder.聽
According to FLIP, C煤cuta is city in Colombia for practising journalism. At the time of his killing, Herrera possible links between organised crime groups and local politicians in C煤cuta and Norte de Santander.聽
“贬别谤谤别谤补鈥檚 murder forces us to confront a difficult question: why are prevention and protection measures failing in the face of the risks faced by journalists working in contexts marked by violence and the presence of criminal groups? The government鈥檚 response cannot be limited to solving this crime,” Jaramillo continued. “This case should trigger a broader discussion about the effectiveness of existing protection policies and the urgent need to strengthen safeguards for local and regional journalism.”
“This requires concrete measures: strengthening prevention mechanisms, improving risk assessments, ensuring that the protection of journalists is explicitly incorporated into dialogue and negotiation processes with illegal armed groups, and adopting public policies that recognise journalism as an essential democratic function.”
Herrera is the second journalist to be killed in Colombia this year. On May 8, journalist Mateo P茅rez Rueda was found dead days after he went missing in Antioquia, a department in northwest Colombia where armed groups compete with each other and the Colombian Army for control.
鈥淚PI extends our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Cristian Herrera, who dedicated his life to defending independent journalism and press freedom, despite the high level of personal risk his work entailed,鈥� said IPI Executive Director Scott Griffen.聽
鈥�贬别谤谤别谤补鈥檚 brutal killing is a chilling reminder of the dangers and pressure Colombia鈥檚 local and regional journalists continue to face. IPI stands in full solidarity with independent journalists in Colombia and calls on authorities to immediately step up protections for the country鈥檚 press.鈥�