A 25-year-old journalist, Mateo Perez, was found dead in a restive northwestern region of Colombia where dissident FARC members and drug traffickers operate, seeking to control illicit gold mining.
The victim's body was found in an area where dissident members of the defunct guerrilla group FARC and drug traffickers from Colombia’s biggest cartel, the Gulf Clan , operate.
― Reuters pic! Plus, enjoy an additional FREE RM10 when you sign up using code VERSAMM10 with a min. cash-in of RM100 today. T&Cs apply. BOGOTA, May 9 — A 25-year-old Colombian journalist was found dead yesterday in a restive northwestern region where guerrillas, drug traffickers and illegal gold miners are active, President Gustavo Petro said.
Mateo Perez went missing on Tuesday while he was working in a rural part of Antioquia department about five hours’ drive north of Medellin in the run-up to the presidential election on May 31. His body was found in an area where dissident members of the defunct guerrilla group FARC and drug traffickers from Colombia’s biggest cartel, the Gulf Clan, operate.
In a post on X, Petro blamed the killing on Jhon Edison Chala Torrejano, a guerrilla leader who the president said is seeking to control the illicit gold mining trade in the region. The Foundation for Press Freedom condemned the killing, calling Perez, who ran the online news outlet El Confidente de Yarumal, a “vital voice for the local community. ”“Mateo faced legal pressure for his investigations into illicit economies linked to armed groups,” it said.
The area where Perez’s body was found is a “disputed zone,” fought over by FARC dissidents and the Gulf Clan, according to FLIP. Journalists in Colombia are constantly under threat from armed groups that control vast territories, where they derive their income from cocaine trafficking, illegal mining and extortion. At least 170 journalists have been killed in the country since 1977, according to FLIP. Petro halted peace negotiations with the FARC dissident group on April 21.
But the government remains in talks with the Gulf Clan, which is considered a terrorist group by the United States. — AFP
Colombian Journalist Killed FARC Dissidents Drug Traffickers Gulf Clan Illicit Gold Mining
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Singapore man and woman charged after 71 cats allegedly found neglected in Bukit Panjang HDB flatSINGAPORE, May 7 — A man and a woman have been charged in Singapore after 71 cats were allegedly found neglected in a Bukit Panjang Housing Board flat, with authorities claiming...
Read more »
From reef destroyer to ocean defender: Colombian ditches fishing to rebuild coral lifeSANTA MARTA (Colombia), May 7 — Yerson Granados used to fish off Colombia’s Caribbean coast for a living, but when he discovered the havoc he was wreaking on coral reefs, he...
Read more »
Man Arrested After Teenage Daughter Found Unconscious with Neck Injuries in PenampangA 16-year-old girl was found unconscious with severe neck injuries in a toilet in Penampang, leading to the arrest of her father. The victim is receiving medical treatment while police investigate the incident. Authorities urge the public to refrain from spreading misinformation.
Read more »
Is this the next ‘Waka Waka’? Shakira teases new Fifa World Cup song (VIDEO)LOS ANGELES, May 8 — Colombian pop idol Shakira on Thursday teased the new official song for the 2026 World Cup, releasing a brief video of the track filmed at Brazil’s iconic...
Read more »