A wave of complaints of sexual harassment of female journalists in Colombia forces Petro to intervene: “Zero impunity”

“We will not tolerate silence or impunity in the world of work. The protocols cannot be a salute to the flag: they must work and effectively protect workers,” said the Minister of Labor. Antonio Sanguinoafter confirming that the Government has detected cases of sexual and workplace harassment at Caracol Televisión.

For this reason, the Government has ordered the channel “to adopt urgent actionsamong them: pcomprehensive protection of victims, complainants and witnesses; guarantees of non-revictimization and nor retaliation, and initiation of internal investigations with a gender focus”.

He also asked “reparation measures and guarantees of non-repetition; strengthening of reporting channels and their traceability; investigation into information leaks; reconstruction of disciplinary records; incorporation of the gender and diversity approach, and immediate awareness-raising and prevention actions. “Zero impunity”he insisted.

#MeTooColombia

The decision comes amid a wave of complaints of alleged sexual harassment in the media in Colombia, which has provoked institutional reactions and from the journalistic union, a movement known as the #MeTooColombia.

Caracol Televisión announced on March 24 the departure of the presenter Jorge Alfredo Vargas by mutual agreement and the dismissal of the sports journalist Ricardo Orrego, after being reported for harassment.

In addition, The Attorney General’s Office opened an “investigative initiative” and enabled a channel to receive complaints, while the Ministry of Labor began media inspections to verify working conditions and prevent gender-based violence.

For its part, the Ombudsman’s Office warned that sexual harassment in the country has a structural nature and? six out of 10 female journalists have been victims.

In parallel, the wave of complaints has promoted initiatives such as #MeTooColombia and #YoTeCreoColega, which seek to make cases of harassment visible and create support networks, and which have motivated more women to disclose their testimonies in different areas.

“The fear of reporting cannot continue to be the rule in any workplace. These measures seek to guarantee effective protection and transform the conditions that allow the repetition of these behaviors,” said today the Vice Minister of Labor Relations and Inspection, Sandra Muñoz.