Journalists Killed in 2010 - Motive Unconfirmed: Rodolfo Maya Aricape
| Publisher | Committee to Protect Journalists |
| Publication Date | January 2011 |
| Cite as | Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists Killed in 2010 - Motive Unconfirmed: Rodolfo Maya Aricape, January 2011, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4e54d691c.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Radio Payumat
October 14, 2010, in Caloto, Colombia
Two gunmen shot Maya, a journalist and a leader of the local indigenous community, in his home in rural Caloto in southwest Cauca province, according to the Bogotá-based Foundation for Freedom of the Press (FLIP) and CPJ interviews.
Maya, 34, was a correspondent for Radio Payumat, a community radio station that is part of a network operated by the Association of Indigenous Councils in Norte del Cauca (ACÍN).
Maya covered political issues and the civil conflict in the region, according to Jorge Arias, an ACÍN representative. Maya's newsgathering activities were closely tied to his role as an indigenous leader, Arias said.
Two weeks before the murder, graffiti in Caloto accused Maya and other indigenous leaders of being members of the leftist guerrilla group Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), CPJ sources said. Arias told CPJ that it was difficult to establish whether Maya was killed for his journalism or his role as an indigenous community leader.
No police investigation had been initiated as of early December, local authorities told CPJ. Arias said indigenous officials were conducting an investigation of their own.
Motive Unconfirmed: CPJ is investigating to determine whether the death was work-related.
