Latest news with #InterAmericanPressAssociation
Mint
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Did you know? Miguel Uribe's mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped by Pablo Escobar & killed in rescue attempt
Miguel Uribe – the Columbian presidential candidate who was shot thrice, two times in his head – is the son of journalist Diana Turbay who suffered a painful fate at the hands of drug lord Pablo Escobar and was ultimately killed during a botched rescue mission. As Uribe continues to battle for his life, here's the story of his mother. Colombian Sen Miguel Uribe Turbay, a possible candidate in the country's presidential election next year, was a union leader and businessman linked to the Liberal Party. Uribe comes from a prominent family, as his mother was a known journalist, Diana Turbay. She was the daughter of former Colombian president Julio Cesar Turbay. Diana Turbay was the founder of news magazine Hoy x Hoy, which was known for its stance to not sensationalise violence, a rare find in Columbia in those days. On August 30, 1990, Turbay along with five other journalists and cameraman Richard Becerra were kidnapped when they were tricked to supposedly interview members of a gang linked to drug lord Pablo Escobar. 'She was kidnapped by Escobar to put pressure on the then president, César Gaviria, to overturn the extradition agreement with the United States,' as per Inter American Press Association. According to TIME, 'A TV journalist, she imprudently walked into an Escobar trap, taking a film crew with her. Turbay, 40, was killed during a raid by government security forces.' Turbay was shot during a failed police operation that was intended to rescue her. The journalist 'died on January 25, 1991 in a police operation in which she received a deadly gunshot wound to the back' as per the Inter American Press Association. Miguel Uribe, a prominent Colombian right-wing presidential candidate, was shot during a campaign event in Bogota. Thirty-nine-year-old Senator Miguel Uribe was speaking to supporters in the capital when a gunman shot him twice in the head and once in the knee before being detained. A security guard managed to detain the suspected attacker, a minor who is believed to be 15 years old. He has successfully undergone initial surgery, the city's mayor said Sunday. Uribe was airlifted to hospital in "critical condition" and underwent a "neurosurgical" and "peripheral vascular procedure," the Santa Fe Clinic in Bogota confirmed.
Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Journalist mother of Colombian leader shot in head was kidnapped, killed by Pablo Escobar
Colombia senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe was shot in the head during a rally on Sunday. The Colombian leader is the son of former journalist Diana Turbay, who was once kidnapped by a group linked to drug lord Pablo Escobar. Thirty-nine-year-old Senator Miguel Uribe was speaking to supporters in Bogota when a gunman shot him twice in the head and once in the knee. As per police, the suspect is a 15-year-old boy, who was detained after the attack. The senator was rushed to the hospital in 'critical condition'. As per the Santa Fe clinic in Bogota, the presidential candidate underwent "neurosurgical" and 'peripheral vascular procedure.' He "overcame the first surgical procedure," Bogota mayor Carlos Fernando Galan told media, adding that the senator had now entered "the critical hours" of recovery. As the Colombian leader recovers, thousands of supporters and political allies gathered outside the Santa Fe clinic with candles, praying for a swift recovery. Uribe hails from an influential Colombian family. He is the son of Diana Turbay, a famed Colombian journalist who was killed after she was kidnapped by Pablo Escobar's Medellin Cartel. Diana was the daughter of former Colombian president Julio Cesar Turbay, who led the country from 1978 to 1982. During a campaign of terror for non-extradition, Diana was abducted by an Escobar-linked cartel. The famed TV journalist was killed during a raid by government security forces. As per a statement by the Inter American Press Association, Turbay "died on January 25, 1991, in a police operation in which she received a deadly gunshot wound to the back." "She had been kidnapped by Escobar to put pressure on the then president, César Gaviria, to overturn the extradition agreement with the United States," it added further.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Peruvian journalist gunned down by hitmen in Amazon
has been shot in the head by two unidentified men on a motorbike as he was heading to work in Iquitos by motorbike taxi on Wednesday. Lopez had reported from Iquitos, deep in the Peruvian Amazon, for more than three decades. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The 70-year-old radio host had regularly discussed corruption and the violence of the armed gangs that plague Iquitos on his daily current affairs program. "None of his personal belongings were taken, a strong indication that this was a targeted execution," Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in a statement on Wednesda Condemnation of killing Press freedom organizations were quick to condemn the killing. The Inter American Press Association lamented the murder of a journalist "known for his denunciations of corruption, extortion, and crime in the region." "We are deeply alarmed by the upsurge in violence against journalists in Peru," the president of the Inter American Press Association, Jose Roberto Dutriz, said in a statement. The National Association of Journalists of Peru demanded a "prompt and rigorous" investigation of Lopez's death. RSF called Lopez's death a "tragic wake-up call." "Journalists reporting on the social, political and environmental realities of the Amazon are being left without protection," the RSF said in its statement. Second killing of reporter this year Lopez's killing is the second such murder this year. In January, the owner of a regional TV channel, Gaston Medina, was shot and killed as he was leaving his house in the south-central city of Ica. Medina had also reported on Peru's extortion epidemic. Peru is experiencing an unprecedented wave of racketeering and gang violence, leading authorities to declare a state of emergency in several parts of the country. At the same time, the Latin American country has seen a worrying decline in its media freedom, sliding to 130th place out of 180 countries on RSF's 2025 Press Freedom Index. That's a fall of 53 positions since 2022.
