William Parra
Encyclopedia
William Parra is one of Colombia
's best known journalist
s. He has worked for Caracol Radio
, Reuters
, and RCN TV
, and in the 1990s was press secretary for then-Colombian President Ernesto Samper
. He worked for TeleSUR
full time from 2006 to 2008, and subsequently as a freelance journalist. Parra currently has political asylum in Venezuela
, after being charged in Colombia with links with the FARC rebels. Parra denies the accusations, and said in September that his lawyers had received death threats.
Parra was kidnapped for 10 days in December 1997, by men claiming to be members of the Medellin cartel
. Arrests were later made of members of Jaime Bateman Cayon
's rebel group. In 2000 he fled to Spain following death threats, and in 2005 he was attacked and seriously injured near Bogota
.
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
's best known journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
s. He has worked for Caracol Radio
Caracol Radio
Caracol Radio is one of the main radio networks in Colombia. Founded in Medellín in 1948 when La Voz de Antioquia station acquired the 50% of Emisoras Nuevo Mundo, based in Bogotá....
, Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
, and RCN TV
RCN TV
RCN Televisión , is a Colombian private television network. It started as a production company in 1967...
, and in the 1990s was press secretary for then-Colombian President Ernesto Samper
Ernesto Samper
Ernesto Samper Pizano is a Colombian politician. He served as the President of Colombia from August 7, 1994 to August 7, 1998, representing the Liberal Party. He was involved in the 8000 process scandal, which takes its name from the folio number assigned to it by the chief prosecutor's office...
. He worked for TeleSUR
TeleSUR
La Nueva Televisora del Sur is a pan-Latin American terrestrial and satellite television network headquartered in Caracas, Venezuela. TeleSUR was launched with the objective of providing information to promote the integration of Latin America....
full time from 2006 to 2008, and subsequently as a freelance journalist. Parra currently has political asylum in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, after being charged in Colombia with links with the FARC rebels. Parra denies the accusations, and said in September that his lawyers had received death threats.
Parra was kidnapped for 10 days in December 1997, by men claiming to be members of the Medellin cartel
Medellín Cartel
The Medellín Cartel was an organized network of "drug suppliers and smugglers" originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The drug cartel operated in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Central America, the United States, as well as Canada and Europe throughout the 1970s and 1980s. It was founded and...
. Arrests were later made of members of Jaime Bateman Cayon
Jaime Bateman Cayón
Jaime Bateman Cayón aka el flaco "Skinny" or Pablo by his fellow guerrilleros was a Colombian guerrilla leader and both founder and commander of the 19th of April guerrilla movement.- Early years :Bateman grew up in an environment of social movements, his mother Clementina Cayón was an advocate...
's rebel group. In 2000 he fled to Spain following death threats, and in 2005 he was attacked and seriously injured near Bogota
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
.
External links
- William Parra: I am innocent and as such I will prove it to justice, Radio Nacional de VenezuelaRadio Nacional de VenezuelaRadio Nacional de Venezuela is a government radio station in Venezuela.Broadcasting began in 1936.-References:*http://www.rnv.gov.ve/noticias/ station web site in Spanish*http://www.rnv.gov.ve/noticias/index.php?act=SF&f=31 English language news stories...
, 8 September 2010