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Voice of America
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Voice of America
The danger zone: In Colombia's Catatumbo region, reporting is risky business
In a vehicle with his two bodyguards, Cristian Herrera talks about the dangers he faces covering Colombia's Catatumbo region as he heads to his latest assignment. An independent reporter, Herrera has always worked in this region, the Norte de Santander department. His beat includes coverage of robberies, extortions, kidnappings, corruption, drug trafficking, criminal gangs and illegal armed groups. Since 2014 those assignments have come with a security detail, a necessary addition after constant threats. 'They call me, they send me voice messages, they leave pamphlets or people tell me,' Herrera says. The latest — a voicemail on his phone — said: 'I'm looking for a reporter with a big tongue. We'll have to cut his tongue.' Often, it is hard to tell who is making the threat. 'We cover so many stories that I don't know who it is from,' Herrera says. Coverage of the region has always brought risks. As well as illegal armed groups, he tells VOA, 'There is drug trafficking; there are coca crops, coca leaf crops; there are cocaine labs.' Added to those dangers is a flare up in clashes between two rival armed groups: the National Liberation Army and a group known the Central General Staff (Estado Mayor Central-EMC), a group of dissidents from the guerilla Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. The fighting has left more than 56 people dead and more than 54,000 displaced, according to figures released this month by the Norte de Santander government. But just as residents in this region of more than 194,000 need access to news about the fighting, it is becoming harder for media to report safely. The regional media freedom group Fundacion para la Libertad de Prensa, or FLIP, warns that the Catatumbo region conflict silences local reporters. 'The situation in Catatumbo is critical, as it is in the entire department of northern Santander, which unfortunately is becoming the most dangerous place to practice journalism in the country,' Jonathan Bock Ruiz, executive director of FLIP, tells VOA. Few reporters inside the region are able to report about the violence, and for those who live near or in Catatumbo, coverage is extremely dangerous. 'I think as reporters, we are just receiving information of 20% of what is happening,' says Herrera. Journalists 'can't talk about anything' Colombia overall has been improving in media freedom rankings, with a 20-point improvement on the World Press Freedom Index. But it is also still considered one of the riskiest countries for journalists. And one of the most dangerous regions is Catatumbo. Two journalists were killed there last year. On the border with Venezuela, the Catatumbo region is just under 300 kilometers from Cucuta, the capital of Norte de Santander. With numerous national resources and a key coca leaf production region, it has long been a base for criminal groups, paramilitaries and guerrillas. Before FARC demobilized in a peace accord in 2016, militants controlled who gained access. Now things are different. 'You don't know who's in charge,' says Herrera. 'There are some organizations that are mixed with migrants who are used as instruments to commit crimes. 'Furthermore, it is an area that has been very abandoned by the state, and so those who exercise control in this region are these illegal armed groups,' he says. Often the safest option is to stay quiet. '[Journalists] can't talk about the armed conflict, what happens there. They can't talk about the deaths. They can't talk about drug trafficking. They can't talk about anything," Herrera tells VOA. 'You have to publish it' Another problem comes from guerrillas or criminal groups that coerce media to serve as spokespersons — and saying 'no' is not an option. 'There is a very serious collective problem, information is used as a weapon of war, as a weapon to make propaganda, to better install the narratives of the different groups, as a way of citizen control,' says Ruiz. Herrera says the media strategy of illegal armed groups is to spread information through social media. 'It happens in El Catatumbo and in Cucuta, illegal armed groups have a digital strategy. They send their messages and start sharing them through social media; they send it to us, and sometimes with threats,' he says. 'They say, 'You have to publish it,' and if you say no, they declare you as a military target.' The combination of physical risk, self-censorship and control by armed groups leaves audiences with limited access to independent news. 'This has already happened in the Catatumbo at different times, where community journalists decide to turn off their radio stations. They decide to stop reporting ... where self-protection protocols are not enough to do their work safely with the number of threats and the lack of protection given by the state,' explains Ruiz. In his 20-year career, Herrera has come up against multiple threats, including three kidnap attempts. At times, he left Colombia to ensure his safety. So, security is a priority. 'If I'm going to the Catatumbo, I advise FLIP and my wife, I must check in every two hours, and if five hours pass and I haven't texted her, something has happened,' he says. Despite the dangers, Herrera said he will not stop reporting. 'All the risks and threats give me more strength to keep going, because that shows that I am doing things right,' he says.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Astrobotic finds new private Moon rover to deliver after NASA pulls plug on VIPER mission
Private Moon company Astrobotic's mission has new life after finding a match made in heaven with its new customer, Astrolab, following Nasa's decision to pull the plug on the agency's VIPER Moon rover. Later this year, Astrobotic will launch its medium-class Griffin lander on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. NASA's VIPER mission was set to fly on Griffin as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) to look for water in the polar regions on the Moon. However, the space agency canceled the program last summer due to delays and budget restraints. "We were devastated when that news came out because we really wanted to be a part of that historic mission and be the ones to deliver that rover," Astrobotic CEO John Thornton told FOX Weather. Still, NASA opted to continue its CLIPS contract with Astrobotic to develop the landing skills needed for future Moon missions, but without the rover. The company planned to fly a payload simulator. Nasa Seeking Good Home For Viper Moon Rover However, Thornton said the response was immediate, with more than 60 companies reaching out to Astrobotic, eager to take VIPER's spot on the Griffin mission. With the mission only a year away from liftoff, Astrobotic narrowed down the potential customers by who could be ready to fly in time. California-based startup Astrolab's small FLIP rover checked those boxes. "The schedule looked good, and the technology was a good sync up and match up. So we didn't have to reinvent and redesign interfaces to the spacecraft. It just kind of all worked out," Thornton said. FLIP is small, with a mass of nearly half a metric ton, and will carry payloads to the lunar south pole designed to study Moondust risks. Astrolab has a larger rover, FLEX, which is in development. The company plans to fly FLEX with SpaceX as soon as next year. Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic launched its first robotic mission to the Moon in January 2024, but the Peregrine lander didn't make it to the lunar surface. Thornton said the 10-day spaceflight after launching on ULA's Vulcan rocket was challenging, but it gave the Astrobotic team experience operating its first spaceflight mission and learning what worked. The mission-ending problem came down to faulty valves. "We didn't find anything other than the valves in the 10 and a half days that we were operating that would have taken the spacecraft down otherwise. So that's good news. But it also kind of makes the valve failure hurt that much more because it's like we were that close." Astrobotic has added a dual-redundant valve system to correct the problem. Both valves with different designs would have to fail for the same result to occur. Thornton said the mission proved their software, avionics and navigation were solid. "All those lessons learned we're incorporating into the new mission and I think we're just going to be that much better for it," he said. "I think our odds of success are really high." The big picture for Astrobotic is landing on the Moon. Only about half of all Moon missions are successful. Last year, Astrobotic was one of two CLIPS missions that attempted to land on the Moon. While Peregrine did not make it, Houston-based space company Intuitive Machines did land – but not upright. It marked the first successful private Moon mission. "It's all about landing for us," Thornton said. "We're putting everything we possibly can into success and making sure this mission can get every chance it can to be successful and show our customers that we can deliver on time and deliver safely upright on the surface of the Moon," Thornton said. The Moon business is booming. Dozens of other private and international missions to Earth's only natural satellite are in the works. Two lunar landers launched from Florida in January are on their way to the Moon right now. NASA plans to return humans to the Moon in the next few years, but this time with plans to maintain a presence there. Thornton explains the lunar south pole contains the key to deeper space exploration. "There's water permanently in the permanently shadowed craters. And if we can get that and harness it, we have water to drink. Of course, you can split water, and then you have oxygen to breathe," Thornton said. "But most importantly, you can split water and condense it and make rocket fuel." And western Pennsylvania has a front-row seat to the Moon business. It's the only place to watch lunar robotics in action with special clearance. The Moonshot Museum is located within Astrobotic's headquarters on Pittsburgh's north side. Visitors can look into the cleanroom where Griffin is currently being worked on. "We're trying to show that window into the $500 billion space industry and show that you don't have to be an engineer with a Ph.D. and go work in some ivory tower at NASA," Thornton said. "You can be right down the street working at the local space company."Original article source: Astrobotic finds new private Moon rover to deliver after NASA pulls plug on VIPER mission
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania company plans to land rover on moon: ‘This is how we lead,' Fetterman said
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Pennsylvania robotics company aims to put a robotic rover on the moon by the end of the year and U.S. Senator John Fetterman said he fully supports the mission. The company wants to 'FLIP' — FLEX Lunar Innovation Platform — as part of Astrobotic's Griffin Mission One (Griffin-1). Venturi Astrolab (Astrolab) and Astrobotic announced that the Griffin lander will put the Astrolab rover on the moon's south pole. It's scheduled to land by the end of 2025 as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS). 'Astrobotic received worldwide interest from dozens of organizations eager to fly aboard Griffin-1, and we conducted a rigorous selection process to identify the mission partner that aligned best with our timeline and Griffin's capabilities,' Astrobotic's founder and CEO John Thorton said in a release. UAE announces groundbreaking mission to asteroid belt, seeking clues to life's origins What was originally supposed to be NASA's VIPER, the organization scrapped plans due to cost and budget restrictions, however, they contracted out their plans for a lunar rover. 'Losing VIPER could've been a setback, but Astrobotic didn't let up. They rolled up their sleeves, found a new way forward, and made sure this mission stayed on track. With Astrolab's FLIP rover onboard, we're showing the world that when challenges come our way, we double down,' U.S. Senator John Fetterman said in the release. FLIP is meant to land at the lunar south pole and demonstrates functions similar to the company's FLEX rover which was revealed in 2023, Astrolab announced an agreement with Elon Musk's SpaceX to help land the lunar rover on the moon by the end of 2025. 'This is how we lead—not by playing it safe but by pushing forward with the technology that'll shape the future of exploration. I couldn't be prouder that Pennsylvania's Astrobotic is making sure America stays first in line to the lunar South Pole,' Fetterman added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
