Colombia: In Radio Diversia “After the Burglary…Came the Threats”

  In previous days we had recounted some of the acts, attacks and killings that have occurred this year that have happened directly against the LGBT population of Colombia, namely in Bogota. This community since February of this year has won the same rights that allow them to stop being treated as second class citizens and today we now enjoy the same civic rights and responsibilities and the rest of the Colombia population.

Effectively after last week’s burglary that we publically denounced as a homophobic act and a theft whose pertinent and sensitive information is now being used to target us. On Tuesday, May 5th we received an email from a group called “La OrganizaciĆ³n”, where we are threatened that we will be bombed if the director of the radio station does not leave the country in 8 days, in addition that the individuals whose identity information was on the computers stolen will be targeted.

The authorities are taking necessary actions and investigations in order to find the origin of this email. Regardless our security and physical integrity is not guaranteed as individuals or as an organization. We wish to inform the national and international community of theses terrible acts and that they are not isolated, we invite all activists; Colombian LGBT organizations; human rights organizations; community, independent and alternative media to make these acts and their denouncement public. This needs to be visualized, this is not just gossip or hear say, in Colombia there are repeated assaults and attempts against the LGBT community and LGBT media which is why we are obligated to communicate this situation to others.

We hope for solidarity from everyone to be able to continue gathering strength and be able to work with all the responsibility and respect by which we are characterized, demonstrating autonomous and critical community media would continue to exist and the LGBT people are part of society and we are not going to disappear because certain groups dislike us.

WE REJECT ALL ACTS OF VIOLENCE, INTIMIDATION, THREATS, STATE TERRORISM AND THE CENSORSHIP OF FREE PRESS AND EXPRESSION.

We invite all social and grassroots organizations, groups, collectives, NGOs and independent activists to please mobilize and manifest a collective rejection of all of these acts that look to install fear and terror.

www.radiodiversia.com