The journalist Cristian Herrera, with more than 20 years of experience in the tradeFLIP representative in Norte de Santander and one of the main spokespersons for the complaints against the criminal gangs of Cúcuta and its metropolitan areawas murdered around noon on June 6.
A man riding a motorcycle He shot him nine times in front of his family.
Cristian Herrera- journalist from Cúcuta Photo:PRIVATE FILE
That day, by coincidence or chance, Herrera He had given rest to the two bodyguards from the National Protection Unit (UNP), who had been taking care of him since 2014.
His history in journalism translates to passion and justice through their complaints. Herrera had entered the Catatumbowinning the fear that many journalists feel about war.
reported without reservations the actions of the ELN, drug trafficking in Cúcuta, political corruption and criminal networks in the region.
Journalist Cristian Herrera Photo:PRIVATE FILE
His murder would have been a reaction of discomfort from powerful sectors, according to his close colleagues.
With extensive experienceworked at the regional newspaper La Opinión, was director of a media local Quiubo in Cúcuta and He served as an advisor to the Mayor’s Security Secretariat. Furthermore, he maintained his own digital page, where open complaints were published.
Minutes before his death, Herrera had published several messages on social networks about a senator whose visa would have been canceled by a process of domain forfeiture.
He also revealed that a group from the Prosecutor’s Office would arrive in Cúcuta to investigate two homicides in which a well-known politician would be involved.
These messages on networks set off all kinds of alarms after his death.
“A newly elected Senator from Norte de Santander who was going to the United States had his trip damaged, pbecause they canceled his visa and he had to change his plans. The worst thing is that the Prosecutor’s Office would have a work order to domain extinction“Herrera said in X 20 minutes before being murdered.
THE THREE THREATS THAT REST IN THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE
The authorities rejected the crime and announced a reward of up to 100 million pesos. The main hypothesis of this crime is that The murder would be related to the complaints that Herrera made.
The colonel Libardo Ojeda, commander of the Cúcuta Policesaid that in the Prosecutor’s Office He had three official threats from 2023 to 2025.
“The journalist did not use the UNP, they point to drug trafficking organizations, others to criminal gangs, we are not going to rule out any hypothesis,” he says. the colonel to EL TIEMPO.
And Herrera’s death has generated too much commotion among the journalistic community. Precisely the SInter-American Press Association condemned this murder and asked the local authorities to give a result con the investigation to clarify the facts.
The Ombudsman’s Office He also spoke out, pointing out that Herrera dedicated himself exclusively to covering judicial issues and the complex reality of Catatumbo, a region marked by the violence of the armed conflict.
Through a trill, the Foundation for Freedom of the Press, FLIP, He regretted what happened to Cristian Herrera and indicated that journalism is on alert, due to what happened in Cúcuta.
“Every journalist silenced by violence is an irreparable loss for their loved ones, for journalism and for democracy,” says part of his reaction.
WITHOUT FEAR TO REPORT THE REALITY
His colleagues remember him as a brave journalist. Samir Castillofrom the regional channel TROhighlighted the documentaries that Herrera produced about Catatumbo and criminal gangs.
“We worked together in a TRO channel product which is called special edition, is an investigative project where the vast majority of the reports we did in the The last 2 years were about public order issues, criminal gangs, the Catatumbo area, of border zone, neuralgic themes”, Samir says.
He says that Herrera traveled in an armored truck all the time with two bodyguards.
“It seems that he had given the escorts a rest because he didn’t intend to leave his house today, and at that moment when he got out they attacked him,” says Samir.
For Samir, he was never afraid to get into the jungle, the border, the tomato plantation, the Bogotá canal now neighborhoods where it is known that there is a presence of criminal gangs.
“I wasn’t afraid to go into the lion’s den.”he indicated.
Other colleagues reported that, despite the threats, he was always protected by the UNP and that he even had to leave the country on several occasions.
“He was always happy, he was cheerful, in the midst of all his threatshe always seemed calm, the last time he left the country was during a pandemic. The man was not afraid of anything,” says a colleague who worked with him.
In 2020 received the Courage Award, for his tireless work against corruption in Norte de Santander.
From the scene, another colleague, Andrés González, weeping said that Herrera They killed him for doing journalism.
“He was a journalist dedicated to practicing this profession 24/7. He lived to work in journalism. This is a bloody message for journalists, to those of us who are dedicated to covering judicial news in Cúcuta. “They killed Cristian for what he did.”says Andrés González, journalist and colleague of the victim.
