Gustavo Petro Denounces Media Censorship and Defends Right to Information in Colombia

President Warns of “Media-Parliamentary Coup” Against Popular Will

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has spoken out against what he describes as an attempted act of censorship and a “media-parliamentary coup” aimed at nullifying the people’s vote. In a statement issued Thursday, Petro criticized a legal injunction (tutela) approved by Colombia’s Council of State that would restrict live broadcasts of cabinet meetings during prime-time slots on both public and private television channels.

Constitutional Clash Over Public Airwaves

Petro emphasized that Colombia’s Constitution establishes the electromagnetic spectrum as public property, which cannot be seized or privatized. The president called on legal experts to weigh in on the issue of media pluralism, stressing its vital role in Colombian democracy.

“What fundamental right is violated if the president speaks on television? The commercial interests of privatized channels are not fundamental rights,” Petro argued. “Those who don’t want to watch can change the channel—no one is forcing them.”

Challenge to Major Networks

The president demanded clarifications from major networks Caracol, RCN, and Canal UNO regarding whether they had filed legal injunctions against his right to use public airwaves. Petro raised alarms about the possible stealth privatization of Colombia’s broadcast spectrum: “Has our spectrum been privatized without society’s knowledge?”

Additionally, Petro called on Caracol—a state contractor—to correct a statement by the National Electoral Council (CNE) about alleged irregularities in his election campaign, clarifying it involved an accounting error by the company.