About the resignation of Vicky Davila de La FM and the case of ‘La Comunidad del Anillo’

Friday, 04 March 2016

About the resignation of Vicky Davila de La FM and the case of ‘La Comunidad del Anillo’

Beyond the journalistic decision of publishing the video – which created a legitimate and necessary debate in the public opinion- it cannot be ignored that this information was part of a journalistic investigation of public interest that La Fm and many others were working on.
Due to this investigation, Vicky Davila and other journalists received death threats and were the object of illegal arrests. Thus the degree of intimidation and pressure on Davila and other journalists doing their works cannot be ignored.
In this context, it seems questionable and paradoxical that the president Juan Manuel Santos endorsed the role of “journalist” criticizing the editorial decision of a mean of communication investigating possible acts of corruption in his own government. Considering the risky situation of Vicky Davila, this declaration had an intimidating effect for her and the other journalist working on this case.
Although the president’s past in journalism, he is today the first public servant of the nation. As the constitutional court and the inter-American commission for human rights stated, the responsibility of this status commands that none of his declarations could impeach the journalistic activity; neither increase significantly the journalist exposure to risk.
Self-censorship cannot be the result of this episode. It is the government’s role on one hand to give the conditions under which journalists can do their work properly and, on the other hand to guarantee the integrity of journalists in this investigation. In the same way, it is the role of the juridical authorities to investigate the intimidations and threats against journalists as the FLIP already stated.

Published in Pronouncements