Colombia’s Petro under fire after calling female journalists ‘mafia dolls’
President claims female reporters had pilloried 2019 to 2021 protests against the rightwing government that preceded him.
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Daily TribunePresident claims female reporters had pilloried 2019 to 2021 protests against the rightwing government that preceded him.
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Gustavo Petro is Colombia's first-ever leftist president
KENA BETANCUR / AFP
BOGOTA (AFP) — Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro is facing criticism from press freedom groups after some comments made about female reporters, calling them “dolls of the mafia” in one of the most dangerous countries for journalists in South America.
Without a hint of irony, Petro made the statement at the 30 August inauguration of Colombia’s new human rights ombud Iris Marin — the first woman to hold the job.
Petro, the South American country’s first-ever leftist president, has often bristled at criticism from the media, which he has accused of conspiring with armed groups, business tycoons or other powerful figures.
Some say he has now gone too far in a country where dozens of threats and attacks of various types are reported against women reporters every year.
In his address, Petro had railed against “the (women) journalists of power, the ‘dolls of the mafia,’” who he said had pilloried 2019 to 2021 protests against the rightwing government that preceded him.
Petro, who was a lawmaker at the time, had supported those demonstrations.
It is not clear why he targeted women reporters specifically.
Criticism was swift, and Petro tried to explain that he had been speaking of “female journalists from the establishment... hired by dark powers” in a statement that did little to quell the outrage.
Marin later said “there is no room for stigmatization” of female journalists in Colombia.
“Nothing justifies it.”
Reporters Without Borders describes Colombia as “one of the most dangerous countries on the continent for journalists,” with two murdered so far this year.
The FLIP press freedom foundation says Petro’s statements were being used as a basis for online content “that is violent or reinforces gender stereotypes.”
The foundation has reported 171 cases of threats and attacks — the exact nature of which it did not specify — against female reporters since last year.
