Colombia's National Liberation Army, the ELN guerrilla group, is blamed for a reported bomb plot against three major news outlets in Bogotá, forcing staff at Caracol Televisión and Caracol Radio to evacuate their offices on Saturday, 7 November. Police searched the buildings and found no explosives, but the threat has put Colombia's press under armed guard.

Employees of Caracol Televisión and its sister station Caracol Radio left their headquarters in the La Floresta district after the authorities warned them of a possible attack, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Investigators for the Attorney General's office attributed the plot to the ELN, and said it also covered RCN, another major television and radio network.

Media outlets under guard

The government has ordered strengthened security for Caracol, RCN and other major outlets, and the Bogotá police said there was no evidence of explosives at or near the facilities. The ombudsperson, Iris Marín, has called for a full investigation and stronger protections for journalists.

The threats come during a surge of violence by armed groups, three months after President Abelardo de la Espriella took office promising a military offensive against them. On the same Saturday, the ELN was blamed by the authorities for a drone attack on an army base near the Venezuelan border that killed three soldiers and injured dozens more.

CPJ's Latin America programme coordinator, Cristina Zahar, said Colombian authorities must take decisive steps to guarantee the safety of staff at the three outlets. The Foundation for Press Freedom, the Bogotá-based press freedom group, also reported the evacuation and has pressed for guarantees for journalists and an investigation to identify those responsible.

The episode shows armed groups now threatening the press inside the capital itself. No group has publicly claimed the plot, and the investigation into who issued the warning is continuing, according to reports from Bogotá.