The International Press Institute (IPI) condemns the killing of Colombian journalist Mateo Pérez Rueda. We call on Colombian President Gustavo Petro and the country’s attorney general to conduct a transparent and credible investigation into Pérez’s death and take immediate steps to protect the safety of journalists reporting on armed conflict.
Pérez, 25, was found shot dead on May 8, 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.
Pérez is believed to have been intercepted and kidnapped by armed groups on May 5 in a rural area outside of the municipality of Briceño while on a reporting trip to cover violent clashes between the army and guerrilla groups.
In a social media post, President Petro blamed the 36th Front, a splinter group of dissident members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), for Pérez’s murder. Local authorities reported Pérez was tortured before being killed.
The journalist’s body was recovered by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the region’s Ombudsman’s Office during a humanitarian mission to the area. According to his family and friends, Pérez had informed local authorities of his reporting plan before travelling to the disputed area where the 36th Front and Clan del Golfo, Colombia’s largest cartel, are active.
Pérez was the director of El Confidente, a Yarumal-based newspaper known for its reporting on corruption, local politics, security, and armed groups. He was also a student of political science at the National University of Colombia.
The Colombian Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) condemned Pérez’s killing, calling on the government to “adopt real protection measures for those who are at risk and in vulnerable situations.” According to FLIP’s reporting, eight journalists have been killed in Colombia under the Petro administration.
The Special Rapporteurship for Freedom of Expression (SRFOE) of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) also condemned the killing, highlighting the “risk and vulnerability faced by local journalists working in territories affected by the armed conflict.”
“Mateo’s death is a tragic reminder of the difficult conditions and immense pressure Colombia’s local and regional journalists work under,” said IPI Director of Advocacy Amy Brouillette. “His death must be a wakeup call: IPI calls on the Colombian government to investigate Mateo’s murder quickly and transparently, hold the perpetrators accountable, and take immediate steps to protect journalists providing the public with lifesaving information about the activities of armed groups.”