COLOMBIA: Top Colombian investigative journalist Ricardo Calderon survives night-time shooting on his vehicle unharmed

Record ID: 353852

  • Title: COLOMBIA: Top Colombian investigative journalist Ricardo Calderon survives night-time shooting on his vehicle unharmed
  • Date: 2nd May 2013
  • Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (MAY 02, 2013) (REUTERS) EDITOR FOR "SEMANA" MAGAZINE ALEJANDRO SANTOS DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) EDITOR-IN-CHIEF FOR "SEMANA" MAGAZINE, ALEJANDRO SANTOS, SAYING: "It is important to acknowledge the troubling coincidence between the investigations by the magazine on irregularities in the army, especially after a publication where we reported
  • Embargoed: 17th May 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Colombia
  • Country: Colombia
  • Topics: Crime,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABQ211FIIPSDT5GOSI1K8RGZ81
  • Story Text: A prize-winning investigative journalist in Colombia escaped unscathed after gunmen fired at his vehicle at a roadside attack, said the editor-in-chief of Colombia's top newsmagazine Alejandro Santos.
    Ricardo Calderon, the head of the investigative unit at Semana newsweekly, was attacked on Wednesday (May 01) night by two assailants who shot at the journalist's vehicle five times. He survived the brazen attack by reportedly diving into a dark roadside ditch.
    Semana editor-in-chief Alejandro Santos believes the attack was linked to a recent expose by Calderon on the lavish jail conditions of convicted army officials in military detention, including the freedom to leave jail as they please.
    "It is important to acknowledge the troubling coincidence between the investigations by the magazine on irregularities in the army, especially after a publication where we reported some weeks ago of a scandal in a jail where there are imprisoned soldiers and now this terrible attack," said Santos.
    Colombian police chief General Jose Roberto Leon Riano told media security has been bumped up at Calderon's home pending an investigation into the attack.
    "No, we had no knowledge of threats. In any case, security has been reinforced at his (Ricardo Calderon's) home where there is a personal security scheme in place," said Leon.
    According to the Committee to Protect Journalist, 44 reporters have been killed in Colombia since 1992 with the South American country locked in a five-decade conflict with Marxist rebels.
    Friday (May 3) is World Press Freedom Day.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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