Colombia

Colombia's position in the Global Index on Journalists’ Safety reflects a persistent context of risk and structural limitations for media professionals. Despite formal protections, violence against journalists remains entrenched—particularly in regions marked by conflict and organized crime. According to the Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP), Colombia saw at least 530 attacks on journalists in 2023, including 69 perpetrated by illegal armed groups, such as paramilitary remnants, guerrilla dissidents, and drug trafficking organizations. These aggressions include threats, intimidation, and forced displacement, contributing to a climate of fear that encourages self-censorship. Such conditions deeply affect journalists' mental health and contribute to the country's middling psychological safety score. While murders have declined compared to previous decades, Colombia remains one of Latin America’s most dangerous countries for journalists, a trend echoed in Reporters Without Borders’ 2024 Press Freedom Index, where the country ranks 119th out of 180 nations. Compounding these risks are political and economic pressures that further erode journalistic autonomy. Public officials remain the principal source of attacks on the press, responsible for 121 of the 530 recorded incidents in 2023, including verbal attacks, legal harassment, and obstruction of access to public information. Even high-ranking politicians have stigmatized critical journalists, undermining trust in the press and emboldening hostility from other sectors (FLIP, 2023). Economically, Colombia’s low financial safety score reflects structural precarity: many journalists work under unstable contracts or freelance arrangements, facing low pay and scarce institutional support. This vulnerability makes them more susceptible to coercion and self-censorship. Moreover, the concentration of media ownership exacerbates the issue. Three conglomerates—Organización Ardila Lülle, Grupo Santo Domingo, and Organización Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo—control over 57% of the country’s media outlets, a structure that limits editorial independence and facilitates alignment between media agendas and elite political or economic interests. This convergence of violent, political, and structural pressures helps explain why Colombia’s overall safety environment for journalists remains deeply compromised, despite improvements in some technical indicators.