© UNESCO
Director-General urges investigation into murder of Colombian documentary film-maker Mauricio Lezama Rengifo
04 June 2019
The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has denounced the killing of documentary film director, Mauricio Lezama Rengifo on 9 May in La Esmeralda, Arauca Department in Colombia.
“I condemn violence against journalists and other reporters, whose work, in whatever medium, investigates the world we live in,” said the Director-General. “In keeping with its Constitution, UNESCO promotes both press and artistic freedoms, both of which are essential to the free flow of ideas by word and image, and to our understanding of the world.”
Lezama was killed by unidentified gunmen while conducting interviews for a documentary about victims of the armed conflict in Colombia.
UNESCO promotes the safety of journalists through global awareness-raising, capacity building and a range of actions, notably the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.
See also: UNESCO condemns the killing of journalists.
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Media contact: Sylvie Coudray, s.coudray@unesco.org, +33 (0)1 45 68 08 91