Today, August 12, marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Guillermo Cano Isaza, journalist and editor of El Espectador for more than three decades until his assassination on December 17, 1986, in Bogotá. His courage, ethics, and journalistic rigor made him a role model and example for generations of journalists. Today, we honor the memory of a journalist who firmly believed that words should expose injustice and never remain silent in the face of violence.

From his opinion column, “Libreta de apuntes” (Notebook), he repeatedly denounced the Medellín Cartel and the infiltration of drug trafficking into the country’s politics. Under his leadership and vision, the newspaper created an investigative unit that uncovered fraud committed by several economic conglomerates and exposed the cartels during one of the darkest periods of political violence in the country. Before his murder, he had received multiple threats and had no state protection, despite the authorities’ knowledge of these attacks. His death was not only a blow to El Espectador, but also to national journalism, which suffered constant attacks in the 1980s.

But memory also demands that justice move forward. The Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP), the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA), and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR) have denounced how the judicial process has been paused on several occasions. It was not until 22 years after the murder, in 2008, that the Human Rights Directorate of the Attorney General’s Office reopened the investigation. At that time, only a few individuals had been convicted: Luis Carlos Molina Yepes, as an accomplice to aggravated homicide, and Castor Emilio Montoya, alias “Quimilio,” as a co-perpetrator. Gustavo Adolfo Gutiérrez Arrubla, alias “Maxwell,” and Jhon Jairo Velásquez Vásquez, alias “Popeye,” were linked as suspects.

In July 2010, the Attorney General’s Office declared this murder a crime against humanity, considering it part of a systematic and widespread action against El Espectador at that time. In February last year, the Colombian state acknowledged its responsibility for the assassination of Guillermo Cano. In doing so, the state accepted that it had failed in its obligation to guarantee the journalist’s life, that it had disregarded its duty to investigate, prosecute, and punish those responsible, and that it had failed to protect the victims and their families. This acknowledgment was one of the measures of reparation for the Cano family recommended by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in 2001 and to which the State committed itself in a Compliance Agreement signed at the same ceremony.

However, a year and a half after the agreement was signed, the measures agreed upon have still not been implemented and there has been no substantial progress in the actions to guarantee access to justice and clarify the facts. Almost four decades later, this crime remains unpunished. For this reason, FLIP, IAPA, and RFKHR reiterate their call on the Colombian state to comply with the agreement and move forward with the investigations. Commemorating the life of Guillermo Cano and that of so many journalists murdered in the country is a necessary exercise in memory and resistance.

The life of Guillermo Cano Isaza and his legacy remind us that freedom of expression is a right that must be defended every day and cannot be taken for granted. His destiny was to be a journalist and, therefore, even fearing for his safety, he stood up to drug trafficking and the mafia, and died in the line of duty. Keeping his memory alive is also resisting any attempt to silence the truth. Remembering him is honoring those who, like him, make journalism a service to society and a pillar of participatory and pluralistic democracy.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Guillermo Cano Isaza, the Guillermo Cano Isaza Foundation and El Espectador will hold a series of activities today, August 12, at 5:00 p.m., at the Gimnasio Moderno school. The event will include the premiere of the animated documentary “Mientras haya tinta” (As Long as There Is Ink) and discussions to celebrate 2025 as the Year of Guillermo Cano, as declared by the Ministry of Arts and Culture.