Colombia: Election of Abelardo de la Espriella, known for targeting journalists with legal action, raises press freedom concerns amid persistent violence

For years, Abelardo de la Espriella-elected president of Colombia on Thursday 25 June-, has adopted a recurrent aggressive stance, whether through legal actions or verbal attacks, against journalists, columnists, and media outlets that have investigated, commented on, or reported public-interest information concerning him. This includes his background, his professional and political activities, his clients, his links, his public positions, and, more recently, the financing of his presidential campaign. He has also used rhetoric that opposes a press considered "legitimate" to another portrayed as an "adversary", amplifying media polarisation in the country.

As the new head of a country ranked 102nd out of 180 countries and territories in RSF's World Press Freedom Index, Abelardo de la Espriella faces major challenges in this area. Two journalists have been killed since the beginning of the year in connection with their work: Cristian Herrera, director of the media outlets Cúcuta Real and Cúcuta al RojoVivo, and local correspondent of the Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa - FLIP), who had under Colombia's state protection programme since 2014; and Mateo Pérez Rueda, of El Confidente, killed while covering recent clashes between the Colombian army and the 36th Front: an armed group made up of dissidents from the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

A pattern of legal harassment and hostility towards journalists

RSF has documented several cases over the past decade in which journalists were targeted with abusive legal action by Abelardo de la Espriella. The cases outlined below are not an exhaustive list, but illustrate a broader pattern of legal pressure, verbal attacks, and attempts to discredit journalists, columnists, and media outlets that have investigated or commented on public-interest information concerning him.

Cecilia Orozco Tascón, former director of Noticias Uno, a Colombian television news programme, columnist for the newspaper El Espectador, and director of the podcast En la Raya, has faced at least four legal actions brought by Abelardo de la Espriella: three criminal complaints and one civil action, following publications related to an alleged judicial corruption case involving the lawyer.

The civil action, which sought financial damages and included measures targeting the journalist's assets - in particular the registration of a precautionary attachment of a vehicle - was dismissed by the courts.

An investigation by the media outlet La Silla Vacía identified 28 civil actions and 22 criminal complaints filed against journalists, columnists, and activists. According to the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia (Fiscalía General de la Nación - FGN), Abelardo de la Espriella was the complainant in 109 defamation and insult cases between 2008 and 2019.

Columnist Ana Bejarano Ricaurte was also targeted by Abelardo de la Espriella after publishing a column about his links with Álex Saab, who has been prosecuted for alleged corruption and money laundering, and is currently detained in the United States.

Alongside his use of legal action, Abelardo de la Espriella has not refrained from denigrating the press. The president-elect has stood out for sexist verbal attacks, aimed at discrediting the professional legitimacy and dignity of several women journalists, including Laura Rodríguez, from the digital programme Piso 8; María Lucía Fernández, from Noticias Caracol; and Camila Zuluaga, from Blu Radio. In the case of Laura Rodríguez, a Bogotá court ordered, Abelardo de la Espriella on 1 June 2026, to retract and publicly apologise for comments of a sexual nature that he made during an interview.

Urgent safeguards for press freedom

From the beginning of its mandate, the new government must demonstrate a clear commitment to:

• guarantee that no journalistic investigation into public-interest issues is met with reprisals or legal pressure;

• refrain from any rhetoric that stigmatises journalists or media outlets;

• strengthen protection mechanisms and public policies in favour of press freedom and the right to information;

• fully respect journalistic scrutiny as an essential component of democracy.