Colombia is a democracy, but one bristling with powerful paramilitary forces in the provinces, international drug syndicates, leftist guerrillas and underworld organizations that hold sway over scores of politicians. Against all of those horrors is a passionate press corps that works under circumstances so dangerous I think the average U.S. journalist would consider a career in insurance.
``You can go to Bogota and feel like you are in Paris,'' Coronell said. ``Drive 40 minutes to the south and you think you are in Iraq.''
In one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, 33 have died in the past decade, Coronell said. Self-censorship has become the mode of survival for those in the rural provinces where paramilitary and guerrillas operate.
Coronell's friend, journalist Jaime Garzón, was killed in 1999 after receiving threats. ``He told me, he told you, he told everybody,'' Coronell said to his wife, María Cristina. ``And they killed him,'' she said grimly.
Coronell's recent problems began after critical coverage of the president's demobilization compacts with paramilitary groups tied to drug lords. When he received threats last spring, Coronell enlisted eight reporters and a computer specialist to track some of the e-mailed threats sent to his associates. Coronell discovered some were coming from an IP address in a mansion occupied by Carlos Nader-Simmonds, a powerful cattleman, popular in Colombia's high-society circles, and friend of the president.
Culture of impunity
His resulting article, ``Unmasking the Executioner,'' caused a firestorm in Colombia. Despite the evidence, the government has made little progress investigating the case, but Nader-Simmonds' defamation suit against Coronell tore through the courts in the dead of Christmas in time for Coronell to receive a court citation Jan. 2 for early settlement. That sent a message about where true power lies to journalists throughout Colombia.
``If the government can't protect Daniel Coronell, who is one of the best-known and highly regarded journalists, it certainly can't protect them,'' said Joel Simon, who met with President Uribe as deputy director of the Committee to Protect Journalists.
``Many journalists live with these threats,'' Coronell said. ``I've had periods of threats in my career, almost as partners,'' but with a family to think about, it is so much harder.The spring term ends soon and Uribe will undoubtedly be re-elected in May. And the Coronells will return to family and jobs in Colombia. They don't have a choice.
``Information is a treasure for our people,'' Coronell said. ``The promise of the journalist is not with popularity. It is with the truth.''
Even if the truth is awful.
from "Death Threats against Colombian researchers"
Colombian researchers have expressed concern about security at public universities amid rising reports of death threats and violence.
In recent weeks, a mathematician was assassinated and a geneticist went into exile.
Moisés Wasserman, president of the National University of Colombia in Bogotá, says it is not the first time it has happened but that little is known about the current threats.
The university is organising a campaign to express anger at the situation.
According to the Colombian Association of University Students, in 2004 and 2005 there were dozens of cases of threats, violence and attempted kidnappings against university staff and students, as well as three murders.
The association blames paramilitary groups, which it says have infiltrated state university campuses.
The problem has existed for many years but appears to be getting worse.
Geneticist Hugo Vega fled the country this month after receiving repeated death threats that accused him of being part of a guerrilla group. Other members of his research group at the National University were also threatened, leading them to disband in April.
In June, mathematics professor Gustavo Loaiza from the University of Antioquia in Medellín was murdered.
Sergio Caramagna, head of the Organization of American States (OAS) mission in support of the Colombian peace process says his office has received information about threats in public universities in Antioquia, Bogotá, Nariño and North Santander.
Caramagna told SciDev.Net that he has asked OAS's regional delegates to investigate, although he concedes that the investigation will depend on the openness of the people affected, and access to their testimonies.
No matter where they come from, the threats are to be condemned, he added.
Vega told SciDev.Net that the threats he received came in response to his team's success at publishing a study in the high-profile journal Nature Genetics in April 2005.
He believes that one of his colleagues paid a paramilitary group to force him "out of my job, my research group and my country, under the pretext that I am a member of a guerrilla group".
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