Reporters Sans Frontières

Published on 21 October 2009

Renowned Colombian journalist Herbin Hoyos Medina, on 8 October narrowly escaped a murder attempt blamed on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Since leaving the country under threat, he has found refuge in Spain. From Madrid, the presenter of the popular Las Voces del Secuestro (Voices from captivity) programme on Caracol Radio, that gives air time to families of hostages, gave an interview to Reporters Without Borders. The presenter looks back at his recent misadventures and his work as a journalist and militant on behalf of kidnap victims in Colombia. Watch the video:

The hasty departure of the journalist, the sixth one in his career, only brought forward his arrival in Europe. After criss-crossing Colombia, the “Freedom Caravan”, a cavalcade of banner-waving bikers with Herbin Hoyos at its head, will set off at the start of November. The “Caravan” has since 26 March 2009 taken to the road to demand the release of all captives still being held by the FARC. The main objective in Europe is to once again raise awareness of the hostages’ issue.

“After Ingrid Betancourt was rescued with the three Americans and the soldiers, people in Europe thought that kidnapping was over in Colombia, that the hostages had all been freed”, the told Reporters Without Borders.

Herbin Hoyos will arrive in Paris on 8 November and on the 9th there will be a demonstration for the release of hostages, in Colombia and elsewhere, in which Reporters Without Borders will play a part. Colombia, one of the most dangerous countries for journalists in Latin America, is ranked 126th out of 175 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ latest world press freedom