Guzmán Quintero Torres
Encyclopedia
Guzmán Quintero Torres was a Colombia
n journalist
and reporter from the city of Valledupar
. He was assassinated on September 16, 1999 after writing a series of articles two months before his death in which he denounced the involvement of some members of the Colombian National Army in the erroneous assassination of two women (one of them pregnant) and wounding some eight children after confusing them with guerrillas in the corregimiento
s of Patillal
and Río Seco.
By the time Quintero Torres was assassinated paramilitary groups
, mainly the AUC
were in the middle of a fight for territorial power and control against the guerrillas FARC and ELN
. Both sides persecuted civilians who they thought supported the other group. Paramilitaries targeted any guerrilla supporters and aiders, human right NGO's that expressed any criticism, sometimes done along with active members of the Colombian National Army, ties that Quintero had also denounced in his articles. Quintero constantly denounced parapolitics
involvements against union leaders, peasants, politicians and think tanks since the assassination of peace advocate Amparo Leonor Jiménez who worked for an NGO called red de Iniciativas por la paz (Network of Initiatives for Peace) (REDEPAZ).
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and reporter from the city of Valledupar
Valledupar
Valledupar is a city and municipality in northeastern Colombia. It is the capital of Cesar Department and was founded in 1550 by the Spanish conquistador Hernando de Santana. Its name, Valle de Upar , was established in honor of the Amerindian cacique who ruled the valley; Cacique Upar...
. He was assassinated on September 16, 1999 after writing a series of articles two months before his death in which he denounced the involvement of some members of the Colombian National Army in the erroneous assassination of two women (one of them pregnant) and wounding some eight children after confusing them with guerrillas in the corregimiento
Corregimiento
Corregimiento is a term used in Colombia to define a subdivision of Colombian departments. According to the Colombian Constitution of 1991 and Decree 2274 of October 4, 1991, Corregimiento is an internal part of a Department or province, which includes a population core...
s of Patillal
Patillal
Patillal is a village and corregimiento in the municipality of Valledupar within the Colombian Department of Cesar. The town lies on the steps of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta with a semiarid terrain.-Geography:...
and Río Seco.
By the time Quintero Torres was assassinated paramilitary groups
Paramilitarism in Colombia
Paramilitarism in Colombia refers to the origins and activities of far right-wing paramilitary groups in Colombia during the 20th century.Right-wing paramilitary groups are the parties considered to be most responsible for human rights violations in Colombia during the later half of the current...
, mainly the AUC
United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia was created as an umbrella organization of regional far-right...
were in the middle of a fight for territorial power and control against the guerrillas FARC and ELN
National Liberation Army (Colombia)
National Liberation Army is a revolutionary, avowed Marxist guerrilla group that has been operating in several regions of Colombia since 1964....
. Both sides persecuted civilians who they thought supported the other group. Paramilitaries targeted any guerrilla supporters and aiders, human right NGO's that expressed any criticism, sometimes done along with active members of the Colombian National Army, ties that Quintero had also denounced in his articles. Quintero constantly denounced parapolitics
Parapolitics
Parapolitics is a term for a 2006 scandal involving Colombian politicians and the paramilitary group the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia.It may also refer to a political or political science theory. The term parapolitics has been used independently by several different researchers with...
involvements against union leaders, peasants, politicians and think tanks since the assassination of peace advocate Amparo Leonor Jiménez who worked for an NGO called red de Iniciativas por la paz (Network of Initiatives for Peace) (REDEPAZ).