"[Colombia's] Plenary Chamber of the Constitutional Court protected the fundamental rights of women journalists to freedom of expression, the right to live a life free from violence, and non-discrimination, in ruling on two constitutional protection actions filed against President Gustavo Petro.
The court reviewed the lawsuits filed by attorney Germán Calderón España and a group of women journalists, who argued that the president's remarks during the inauguration ceremony of the Ombudsman on Aug, 30, 2024, violated their rights.
In his speech, Petro said: 'The journalists in power, the mafia dolls, constructed the thesis of terrorism in protest and the criminalization of the genuine right to protest and to say "enough!”' For the Court, this expression represented a form of symbolic violence and discrimination, associating journalists with criminal structures and delegitimizing their professional practice."
