A Colombian journalist responsible for a video of police violently breaking up a protest is in hiding after receiving multiple death threats.
Bladimir Espitia was forced to go into hiding after the publication of her video on YouTube.
The video depicts a violent action against farmers, fisherman, and environmental activists who have been occupying a spot on the banks of the Magdalena River in opposition of the expropriation of their lands for the building of a hydroelectric plant in southwestern Huilo Department.
The International Federation for the Freedom of Press [FLIP] has demanded that the Colombian government provide protection for the journalist, who received the threats by telephone. The callers threatened Espitia and accused her of being an enemy of the police and the country.
The day after filming the event, Bruno Federico, a photographer working with Espitia, was detained by police for several hours without legal justification.
In the 14-minute video Espitia says “these people [protesters] were beaten and attacked with tear gas, this is a testimony of how they were treated, of how they were abused, these people are very humble and very poor.”
The protest has sought to halt the construction of a dam that would flood five towns in order to fuel a new hydroelectric plant being built by Spanish energy giant Emgesa.
