'Colombia Reports' will ignore government’s press freedom limitations.
Colombia Reports will ignore the Colombian government’s unlawful ban on reporting on FARC leaders’ trips to rank and file guerrillas. If we comply, this website could be censored any time deemed convenient by either the government or guerrillas.
Interior Minister Juan Fernando Cristo told the press on Thursday that journalists are prohibited from reporting on FARC leaders’ attempts to explain a pending peace deal to their guerrillas, a significant step in a peace process that — like any process affecting citizens — requires public scrutiny.
The ban was put in place after press, including Colombia Reports, reported on a trip of the FARC’s lead negotiator Ivan Marquez and other important FARC leaders to La Guajira. During this trip, the FARC went beyond what had been explicitly agreed with the government; Marquez, surrounded by hundreds of heavily armed guerrillas, took part in a public event in El Conejo, a tiny hamlet in the northern province.
Press reports on this incident spurred public outrage and further increased widespread skepticism regarding the virtues of these talks.
The Colombian government could easily have tightened the protocol by having the FARC commit to not take part in public events and be prudent when talking to press. This would have entirely prevented future embarrassments that could threaten the success of the talks.
However, by banning journalists to report or ask questions, the government does not only violate Article 20 of the Colombian Constitution and our fundamental right to the freedom of expression and movement, it also disallows the public to scrutinize and criticize the peace process, or possible wrongdoings in the process that will define Colombians’ future.
At: http://colombiareports.com/colombia-reports-ignore-illegal-limitations-press-freedom/