Bogota — Colombian prosecutors opened an investigation on Wednesday after a well-known journalist alleged that she was being trailed and harassed by a devotee of President Gustavo Petro.
Camila Zuluaga said that a “fanatical follower” of the president, whom Petro had “endorsed” on social media, recorded and published images of her and her family.
She said the alleged harassment was “a direct consequence of the attitude” of the president toward the media.
“I confess to you, President, it is the first time that I am afraid of what might happen,” Zuluaga said in an online video that has gone viral in the South American country.
The prosecutor’s office announced that it is investigating the case to determine “who is behind the intimidation” of Zuluaga.
Presidente @petrogustavo le escribo esta carta porque el constante señalamiento en Twitter a periodistas que usted hace es muy peligroso. Con sus trinos empodera a fanáticos seguidores, quienes interpretan sus palabras como una orden para atacarnos ¡Esto tienen que parar!?? pic.twitter.com/wycDShVd3n
— Camila Zuluaga (@ZuluagaCamila) May 31, 2023
TWEET TRANSLATION: President @petrogustavo I am writing this letter to you because the constant targeting of journalists on Twitter that you do is very dangerous. With his trills he empowers fanatical followers, who interpret his words as an order to attack us. This has to stop!
After Zuluaga’s complaint, the NGO Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) urged Petro not to “discredit, delegitimize or attack any journalist or media outlet” and asked him to “support the exercise of a free press.”
On various occasions, FLIP has argued that Petro, even before becoming president, “stigmatizes and generates a climate of violence” against the media.
The president denies the allegations.
“Gentlemen of FLIP, I do not attack journalists, but if they say falsehoods against me, I have every right as a human being to clarify the lies,” the president said on Twitter.
More than 160 journalists have been attacked in Colombia this year, including three who were killed, according to FLIP data.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Twitter/@petrogustavo
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