Background and Context
In a recent development, the Colombian Procurator General’s Office has temporarily incapacitated nine military personnel for spying on over a hundred journalists, politicians, and human rights defenders five years ago. The revelation comes from a report released by the disciplinary body on Tuesday.
The Incident
This case dates back to 2020 when the magazine “Semana” exposed that the Army had created secret files containing information about 130 individuals, including at least 30 journalists.
Details of the Surveillance
According to the oversight organization, these actions constitute a “serious” offense as they were “ordered, processed, and executed (…) for purposes other than the legitimate objectives of national security and defense.”
- The military collected photos, addresses, and monitored social media accounts of communicators such as María Alejandra Villamizar from channel Caracol and Nicholas Casey from the New York Times, in addition to spying on entire media outlets.
Procurator General’s Decision
The Procurator General resolved to suspend the nine implicated individuals from their positions for three to six months without salary. However, the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) deemed the punishment inadequate.
The sanction “fails to acknowledge the gravity of the conduct by ignoring” the “systematic nature” of these violations and “the impact on fundamental rights of journalists,” stated FLIP, which announced its intention to appeal for non-recurrence guarantees.
The military’s spying targeted linking reporters with armed groups like the former FARC to “stigmatize journalistic work,” accused Rutas del Conflicto, one of the affected media outlets.
“We find it a great irresponsibility that the Army would use intelligence tools (…) to make such unfounded accusations,” denounced Rutas del Conflicto.
Ongoing Investigation
Beyond the disciplinary sanction, the case remains active in criminal proceedings under an ongoing investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office initiated in 2020.
In that year, the scandal led to the dismissal of twelve officials, including a general, who were removed from service by then-President Iván Duque (2018-2022).
Historical Context of Surveillance in Colombia
Colombia is no stranger to scandals involving illegal intercepts by authorities. Under the administration of former President Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010), the now-dissolved Department of Security Administration (DAS) was embroiled in an illegal surveillance scandal targeting Supreme Court magistrates, opposition members, and journalists.
