Colombian Journalist Killed by Gunman on Motorcycle at Venezuela Border

A Colombian journalist was killed on Saturday at the border between Colombia and Venezuela, the Ombudsman's Office announced. This public institution is responsible for ensuring respect for human rights.

Since 1977, 170 journalists have been assassinated in Colombia, according to the non-governmental organization Foundation for Press Freedom, as reported by Agence France-Presse.

The victim, Cristian Herrera, who was a member of the board of directors of the Foundation for Press Freedom, was killed in the border city of Cúcuta in the northeast of the country.

Local media reported that a gunman riding a motorcycle shot Herrera, who later died in the hospital.

In a statement published on the platform X, the Ombudsman's Office said, "Violence strikes the press in Colombia once again."

It added that Herrera had been working on issues related to impunity, organized crime, corruption, and the situation in Catatumbo.

Catatumbo is a region also located on the border with Venezuela and is known for violent clashes between armed groups.

The journalist had reportedly been threatened and was under government protection measures, which, according to the Ombudsman's Office, "did not prevent his assassination."