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Three journalists have been killed in the last three months,
a string of kidnappings have been carried out by guerrilla factions, and
last week a regional office of the newspaper El Tiempo was bombed.
Forty-five Colombian journalists have been killed since 1988, the committee
reported.
"[Journalists] can be targeted by all parties of the civil war,"
Smeets said. "You are living with the knowledge that many of your
colleagues have been killed, and maybe you will be killed."
The attacks are rarely investigated or punished. As a result, scores
of journalists, including María Cristina Caballero, have fled
the country.
According to CPJ, the exodus from Colombia's historically vibrant press
is unprecedented.
"It's very, very worrisome, because right now in this period,
Colombians need a press more than ever, to know what's going on, what
different solutions there are," Smeets said.
Many of those who cannot or will not leave the country have toned down
their reports and are keeping a low profile, said Carlos Molina, coordinator
of the Committee on Freedom of the Press for the Inter American Press
Association.
There is hope for the Colombian press, however, Molina said.
"This has led us to believe that only constant and consistent
pressure, both domestically and internationally, yields results,"
Molina said. "The only other useful weapon against attacks to the
press is punishment. If only 10 percent of the murderers of journalists
were jailed, there probably wouldn't be anymore slayings at all. If
there is no punishment, there's no deterrent."
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