Journalist found dead in Colombia's conflict zone

A Colombian journalist was found dead on Friday night in the country's northwestern region, an area plagued by guerrillas, drug traffickers, and illegal gold miners, President Gustavo Petro said.

The body of 25-year-old Mateo Perez was found in an area where members of the guerrilla group, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and drug traffickers linked to the the Gulf Clan, operate.

Perez had been missing since Tuesday, when he was working in a rural area of the mountainous Antioquia department, about five hours north of the regional capital, Medellin.

President Petro blamed Perez's killing on guerrilla leader Jhon Edison Chala Torrejano in a post on X, accusing him of seeking control over illicit gold mining in the region.

"The humanitarian commission of the Red Cross and the ombudsman's office, with the support of the government, managed to enter the area and locate the body," Petro said in the post. 

"The National Police has had orders for several weeks to strengthen its presence in this zone and to count on the support of the army to eradicate the groups that remain there. The action of the public forces will be effective," he said.

Press groups urge goverment to protect journalists

Perez ran an online news outlet, El Confidente de Yarumal, where his reporting  focused mainly on crime, security, politics, and corruption.

The Colombia-based Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) said Perez had "faced legal pressures" over his "investigations into illicit economies linked to armed actors."

In a statement, FLIP urged the government to "stop being indifferent to the attacks against the press" and to adopt "real protection measures" for journalists at risk. "The murder of Mateo Pérez cannot go unpunished," the organization said. 

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Perez had been detained by FARC members at a roadblock on May 5, citing FLIP.

"Colombian authorities must promptly investigate the death of Mateo Pérez Rueda and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice,” said Cristina Zahar, CPJ's Latin America program coordinator, in São Paulo.

"The state has a responsibility to guarantee secure conditions nationwide, enabling journalists to carry out their work freely and without fear of retaliation," she said.

Threats against journalists in Colombia

Since 2022, FLIP has recorded 387 attacks against the press by armed groups, with threats and forced displacement cited as the most common tactics.

FLIP said 170 journalists have been killed in Colombia for reasons related to their work since 1977, including Perez. Of those killings, 22 occurred in Antioquia, making it one of the country's deadliest departments for journalists. 

Colombia has seen a surge in guerrilla attacks as the country prepares for presidential elections scheduled for May 31.

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar