Journalists covering teh ongoing humanitarian crisis at the Colombia-Venezuela border are facing increasing threats, as evidenced by a recent intimidation attempt against a news crew in Cúcuta [[1]]. The incident, involving an unidentified man attempting to disrupt reporting near the Francisco de Paula Santander bridge, highlights a worrying trend of interference with press freedom in the region [[2]].Sources suggest potential involvement of state actors and criminal groups seeking to control the narrative surrounding the migrant situation, a advancement that underscores the risks faced by those reporting from conflict zones [[3]]. Headlinez.news is committed to reporting on these challenges to ensure the safety of our colleagues and the public’s right to know.
Journalists reporting near the Colombia-Venezuela border in Cúcuta faced intimidation from an unidentified man while covering the ongoing migrant situation, according to a report from a news team on the ground. The incident underscores the challenges facing journalists working in a volatile border region.
The team was reporting near the Francisco de Paula Santander bridge, which connects Cúcuta with Ureña, when the man approached, attempting to drive them away from the border area. The journalist described the encounter as aggressive.
“Juan Manuel, to finish up, I’ll tell you about an experience our team, our producer, had here in Cúcuta today,” the journalist said to a colleague during a live report. “We were doing a report for the alert, and we switched bridges – we weren’t on the Simón Bolívar bridge anymore, but on the Francisco de Paula Santander bridge, which connects Cúcuta with Ureña.”
“We were at the limit of the bridge, between Colombia and Venezuela, and while we were reporting, a man with his face covered started approaching us from the Venezuelan side, making all kinds of gestures, shouting at us to move away from the border and from Venezuela, in a rather aggressive manner,” the journalist explained.
According to the report, the man was attempting to intimidate the crew, forcing them to retreat. Sources indicated that the Guardia Nacional Bolivariana may be sending individuals – potentially members of the Tren de Aragua gang or former guerilla groups – to harass journalists and discourage reporting near the border. These individuals may be compensated for their actions.
“They were trying to intimidate us, and we had to move away. After asking around, we were told that what’s happening is that the Bolivarian National Guard sends people – who are often from the Tren de Aragua or ex-guerrillas – and they pay them to intimidate people, the press, so that we don’t come in and move away from Venezuela,” the journalist said.
The journalist also noted that other reporters have experienced similar incidents, including a Mexican journalist about whom there is currently no further information.
