The FLIP concerned about the protection scheme of the journalist Javier Osuna

In April of this year, the journalist asked for the replacement of one of his bodyguards because these events, among others, had aroused mistrust toward this protection agent. According to the version of the journalist, this person had taken photos of the activities of the journalist and of the places he visited. He also asked the journalist about paramilitary chiefs he was investigating and indicated that he had known them at the time they were in the army.

However, the process of replacement of this escort has had some irregularities that worsened the situation of the journalist. Despite the NPU was requested to proceed secretively in order to minimize any exposition or risk, the bodyguard has been informed of details of the procedure of replacement he was not supposed to know: that imply an improper handling of information inside the protection unit. Finally the NPU accepted that a trustworthy man of the journalist joins the scheme and removed the replaced escort of the entity.

The FLIP is concerned to see these procedures in the management of the NPU putting journalists at a major level of risk. Thus it is worrying that the selection and the contraction of escorts enable men with such mistrusting antecedents to join the unit. Furthermore interrogations arise about the evaluations and internal controls of these men that provide protection. It would especially be interesting to know if the opinions of protected people are taken into account in the attributions of rewards or sanctions to bodyguards. Likewise it is of concern that informations leak improperly in the unit, so that escorts knew about the opinions and solicitudes of the people under protection.

The FLIP requests the NPU to assure that internal procedures do not become an aggravating factor of the risk underwent by the persons it protects, as well as commencing the internal controls this case deserves.