Once again, the mayor's office of Medellin will be investigated for alleged attacks on the press

The storm does not stop in Medellín, but this time it goes beyond winter, as the administration of Mayor Daniel Quintero is once again involved in a scandal: the Personería of the capital of Antioquia will launch a preliminary investigation against the Ministry of Communications, since it allegedly harassed two media outlets of communication, considered as a direct attack on the press.

This process follows the denunciation made by the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP), in which it was alleged that the Communications Secretariat had questioned the performance of the newspaper El Colombiano and IFM Noticias. After opening this preliminary inquiry, the findings will be established that determine whether or not it is necessary to carry out a formal investigation.

The allegations argue that the municipality has attacked or harassed the media mentioned above; they also highlight that it is a repetitive dynamic on the part of the institutions. In this case, a member of the municipal cabinet is accused of questioning the journalistic office of the newspaper El Colombiano, in addition to alleged refusals to provide information to the co-managers of the media in question.

Although Quintero is not the protagonist of this fact, everything indicates that a member of this administration would have mentioned: “if El Colombiano was a serious medium or a pasquín”, this question arose on the official's social networks.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Communications would have urged that the journalistic work of both El Colombiano and IFM Noticias be made difficult, in this case, the obstacle sought to make the work “more difficult” for the co-responsible people seeking information. Obstacles in the delivery of data and difficulty in the processes, are the main accusations made against the dependency.

With regard to this case, the auxiliary person of the Medellinenses, Olga Lucía Rodríguez said:

The formulation of the statement could be developed in the event that the evidence obtained by the organ in question sheds light on a possible disciplinary failure. In addition, it takes into account the reiteration of this type of fact, for which the mayor's office of Medellín has already been indicated by the same newspaper El Colombiano.

In 2021, this leadership was singled out by FLIP to try to denigrate the image of the media through slander and even question the journalistic work and the accuracy of the media. Likewise, it was called obstructing and obtaining information that may be of public interest, despite the fact that freedom of the press and institutional cooperation for the development of information content must prevail in Colombia.

In relation to what happened, FLIP asked the mayor's office for explanations and imposed a public complaint arguing: “State servants must be guarantors of freedom of expression and respect the editorial independence of the media. Restricting the rights to freedom of the press, information and expression constitutes disciplinary offense in accordance with Law 734 of 2002.” .

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