OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS CONDEMNS THE FARC’S ATTACKS ON RADIO TRANSMISSION TOWERS IN EL CAUCA, COLOMBIA
Washington, D.C., Sept. 9, 2005. The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), part of the Organization of American States (OAS), condemns the recent attacks against the transmission towers of local broadcasters Caracol and Grupo Radial Colombiano, Colmundo. The attacks occurred on Sept. 5, 2005 in the municipality of Silvia in the western part of Colombia's Cauca region.
Based on the information received regarding these attacks, members of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group deployed dynamite to blow up the towers belonging to the above-mentioned broadcasters, causing serious material damage. The attacks also halted all braodcasts to neighboring areas. The Office of the Special Rapporteur is concerned by this latest attack in Colombia, which follows on the heels of similar attacks in February, March and May in the regions of Valle del Cauca, Caquetá and Putumayo, respectively.
Principle 9 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression of the IACHR notes that "the material destruction of communications media violate[s] the fundamental rights of individuals and strongly restrict[s] freedom of expression."
Eduardo Bertoni, Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, condemns these acts of violence committed by armed dissident groups in violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. He calls on the Colombian State to investigate, try and punish those responsible for these acts.
For more information on the Office of the Special Rapporteur, see its website: http://www.cidh.org/relatoria