Colombia: Gender-based violence against journalists and writers condemned
Image Credit: Long Visual Press
‘The threats against these journalists and writers are intended to silence them, limit their employment opportunities and, above all, intimidate other women who dare to speak out against violence. We cannot allow those who expose these abuses to be punished for speaking out. The Colombian authorities must protect them and investigate the threats so they can continue their work without fear of reprisals’, said Judyth Hill, Chair of PEN International’s Women Writers Committee.
PEN International condemns the death threats, attacks and intimidation against Mónica Rodríguez, Juanita Gómez, Catalina Botero, Paula Bolívar and Laura Palomino, writers and journalists associated with the Yo Te Creo Colega (I Believe You, Colleague) initiative. The attacks intensified following the publication of testimonies alleging sexual harassment and abuse within Colombia’s journalism sector.
Since March 2026, Colombia’s media sector has faced a series of allegations of sexual harassment and abuse of power. Against this backdrop, journalists established the Yo Te Creo Colega initiative to collect, document and bring to light testimonies of sexual and workplace harassment within the profession. According to its members, the collective has gathered more than 300 first-hand testimonies from women journalists and journalism students undertaking internships, many of them confidential.
A forensic report commissioned by the collective documented threats and harassment against five journalists over a period spanning 28 July to 9 August: Mónica Rodríguez; Juanita Gómez, of Semana; Catalina Botero, of RTVC Noticias; and Paula Bolívar and Laura Palomino, founders of Brava News.
The report, a copy of which PEN International holds, examined 26,000 mentions from 10,060 social media accounts. It identified 248 mentions containing explicit threats or incitement to violence and 1,543 containing sexist insults. The attacks included intimidation targeting their families and death threats. Some journalists also reported attempts to access their social media, email and bank accounts, among other attacks.
The attacks intensified after Yo Te Creo Colega and Brava News published two testimonies on 30 July alleging sexual harassment and abuse by Rafael Poveda, a journalist and presenter of Testigo Directo.
The journalists have reported to PEN International that publicising these allegations has led to stigmatisation and the loss of employment opportunities. No journalist should face reprisals, be discredited or have her career prospects restricted for reporting or documenting allegations of sexual and workplace harassment and violence.
PEN International calls on the Colombian authorities to adopt urgent and effective gender-responsive protection measures, agreed upon with the affected journalists, that address both physical and digital risks. It also urges the Attorney General’s Office to conduct a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation into the threats and other reported incidents, identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
Note to Editors
For more information, please contact Alicia Quiñones, Head of the Americas Region, PEN International: [email protected]
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