Uribe offers reward for information leading to capture the murderers of journalist http://www.telesurtv.net/noticias/secciones/nota/68804/uribe-ofrece-recompensa-por-informacion-para-capturar-a-asesinos-de-periodista/

Colombia's President Álvaro Uribe, offered a reward of 26 thousand 300 dollars for information to catch the murderers of the director and owner of the magazine "The pulse of time," Castilla Clodomiro Ospino, who died Friday night allegedly by some hitmen. The journalist, 50 years old was known for exposing the links between politicians and (rigthwing paramilitaries) in the department of Cordoba (north). Some men had shot at him several times in Monteria (northwest)in the past.

"It hurts to tell the country that gunmen killed  Clodomiro Castilla the journalist in the city of Monteria," said the Colombian president. For this reason, the Colombian president offered the reward, noting that "one of the purposes of this Government has been the protection of journalists." Communicator's wife, Gilma Ojeda Castilla reported on Saturday that he had  received death threats  for his publications on the alliances with paramilitary and public office leaders in the region of Cordoba. 

"We all knew he was threatened for a long time, but so far nothing had happened. He had an escort and he withdrew because he said that his bodyguard was Jesus Christ to all who asked," said Ojeda. The Police Commander in Cordoba, Colonel Peter Angelo Franco, announced that on Friday night they  captured two suspects in the murder. He noted that for lack of evidence they were released. "At 9H00 local time (0000 GMT Saturday) when the reporter was reading a book on the terrace of his house a gunman approached him and delivered several shots. These gunmen fled on a motorcycle," the official said. 

The director of the Movement of Victims of State Crimes (MOVICE), Iván Cepeda, Castille said throughout his career in journalism, "He was an acid-tongued critic of local government and its ties to right-wing deathsquads. "Undoubtedly, his death was an attempt to silence the complaints and an attempt to destroy those who have argued even in the department that those links have helped to accumulate wealth and power," said the director of MOVICE. Clodomiro Castilla had served as a witness in some processes of "para-politics scandal" in  the department of Cordoba. 

Colombia and journalists The director of the center director Felcoper and solidarity of the IFJ, Eduardo Marquez  assured  teleSUR that the social communication professionals in Colombia, "we are experiencing a real wave of attacks" and in his view, the situation "turns into  self-censorship and bullet proof vest journalism. " In September 2006, President Álvaro Uribe in Colombia accused the correspondent of the American newspaper "El Nuevo Herald, Gonzalo Guillén, of having participated in writing the book" Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar, "whose author is one of the former intimate partners of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. 

In the book he highlighted the friendship between Escobar and Uribe, who also, according to the text, were old business partners. Guillen denied the remarks of the  head of state and sent him a letter in which he charged that the Colombian president's statements had put him in "the sights of hired killers and the public pillory" and, days later, with new death threats against him ,he  left the South American country. Uribe also clashed publicly with  journalist Coronell, editor of independent news "Noticias Uno", whom he accused of defamation by indicating in a column that Uribe used an   Escobar  helicopter to move his father and brothers wounded in an unsolved incident. 

Coronell was out of Colombia for a year after receiving death threats from rigth-wing paramilitaries. Marquez said that "journalists are the backbone of society" and more so in Colombia, where "between guerillas , paramilitaries, and the President of the Republic, there are powerful actors who are not  interested in citizens having access to information tailored to reality.

comment-Uribes claim ..."one of the purposes of this Government has been the protection of journalists." as you have just read above is not only a slap to peoples intelligence its also  examples of a  fascist's  forked tongued lies...also see...Colombiaʼs Domestic Spying Scandal http://www.cipcol.org/files/factsheets/das_scandal.pdf

Colombia's leading intelligence agency has distributed a handbook to agents explaining how they should spy on, threaten, intimidate and discredit journalists, NGOs and judges who are viewed a problems by the government.http://www.unfreemedia.com/americas/colombias-spooks-spy-on-journalists.html

DAS security agency instructs its personnel on how to monitor, intimidate and discredit journalists http://www.laht.com/article.asp?CategoryId=12393&ArticleId=349286