Today marks the centenary of Guillermo Cano Isaza's birth., director of El Espectador for more than three decades and a key figure in Colombian journalism, was assassinated in Bogotá on December 17, 1986, for his staunch defense of truth and freedom of expression.
With his column Notebook and an editorial team trained to investigate without concessions, Cano confronted the mafias, exposed corporate fraud, and pointed out the infiltration of drug trafficking into politics., becoming an ethical reference for generations of reporters.
A centenary with events and memory
The anniversary arrives with a broad agenda. The Guillermo Cano Isaza Foundation and El Espectador have convened a meeting on August 12th at 17:00 PM at the Gimnasio Moderno in Bogotá. with the premiere of the animated documentary “Mientras haya tinta” and discussions about his life and work, framed within the official declaration of the “Guillermo Cano Year.”
From the public sphere, The Ministry of Culture, Arts and Knowledge and the National Library present the collection "El País de Guillermo Cano", three freely distributed volumes: an illustrated biography in comic format, a selection of chronicles, columns and editorials (1949-1986) and profiles that show his different professional facets.
The Ministry's own Gaceta magazine, launches a web special with five representative columns (one per decade), research articles, fragments of the graphic novel "Don Guillermo" and the recording of the "Requiem of Silence", a work composed in 1987 as a tribute to the journalist; its next printed issue will be dedicated to his legacy.
In parallel, FLIP's "Newsroom of the Absent" recalls that, between 1977 and 2025, 169 journalists have been murdered in Colombia., a backdrop that reinforces the value of these initiatives of memory and demand for guarantees.
Various trade union and human rights organizations They participate in the events with calls to protect the information work and to ensure real conditions for the practice of journalism throughout the country.
Trajectory, editorials and difficult decisions
Guillermo Cano was appointed director at just 27 years old., after gaining experience in the workshops and newsrooms of El Espectador, where he began as a bullfighting reporter. Under his leadership, the newspaper promoted pioneering investigative journalism and opened up space for regional voices, modernizing its coverage of the country.
In times of censorship and states of siege, Its management upheld the newspaper's independence Even though prior controls prevented him from publishing the "real diary" that the editorial staff wrote each night. That apprenticeship forever shaped his understanding of his profession: serving readers even in adverse circumstances.
Already in the seventies and eighties, the newspaper's engine room became a laboratory of firsts: Investigations into financial conglomerates, abusive practices, and self-lending schemes affecting thousands of savers ended up uncovering high-impact scandals.
The business response was to cut the advertising, but Cano set the line with a simple and blunt idea: Professional conscience is not negotiated for advertising revenueWith that premise, he supported his team and continued publishing what was essential for the public interest.
Against the Mafia: Threats and Murder
The point of no return came when In 1983, El Espectador published an image of a then congressman, Pablo Escobar, already indicted for drug trafficking in 1976.From that moment on, a criminal offensive was unleashed to silence the newspaper and its director.
In his editorials, Cano warned about the risk of weakening judicial tools against organized crime and He pointed out the collusion between politics, violence and easy moneyThe threats, which had been going on for some time, multiplied.
The December 17 of 1986, Medellín cartel hitmen murdered Guillermo Cano when he left the newspaper's headquarters for his home. He had no bodyguards or driver: his shield was always his profession and his words.
The attack on the newspaper continued: In 1989, a bomb destroyed a large part of the headquarters of El Espectador.Despite the blow, the team managed to produce an emergency edition and keep the newspaper on the streets, reaffirming its commitment to reporting.
That chain of events left a valid lesson: Without free journalism there is no control over power or real guarantee of rights.Cano's memory continues to serve as a beacon for new generations.
Justice, progress and state debts
The court case had its ups and downs. The Prosecutor's Office reopened the investigation in 2008. and, in 2010, classified the crime as a crime against humanity, recognizing that it was part of a systematic action against El Espectador.
At the level of state responsibility, On February 9, 2023, the Colombian Government officially acknowledged its omissions. to prevent murder, as well as failures in the investigation and protection of victims, in a public act with reparation measures.
Since then, Efforts continue to fully clarify the chain of command and expedite justice.The fight against impunity remains a priority for national and international organizations.
Cano's story symbolizes the lives of many journalists who risk their lives in the exercise of their profession, reinforcing the need for effective policies to protect them and guarantee press freedom throughout the country.
Awards and initiatives that extend their mark
The international recognition of his figure was solidified with the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, created in his honor and awarded each year to journalists or institutions that stand out for their defense of freedom of expression in risky contexts.
At the national level, the Guillermo Cano Isaza Foundation drives the 'Country Stories' chronicle award, conceived so that citizens can narrate, with unpublished texts, the daily life of regions, towns and cities, just as Cano learned about the pulse of the country by reading letters from readers.
They will be able to participate Colombians and foreign residents, of legal age, sending 6 to 10 page chronicles in Word format to the email fundacionguillermocano@gmail.com, with the subject: “Country Stories Award – (participant’s name)”, and a copy of your ID.
The jury is made up of Ana María Busquets de Cano, Jorge Cardona and Maryluz VallejoA first prize of 10 million pesos and two second prizes of 5 million pesos will be awarded; the outstanding works will be published in El Espectador and compiled in a book, scheduled for 2026.
The institutional boost to Cano's legacy is complemented by editions, exhibitions and digital content that facilitate access to his work, his thinking and the historical contexts in which he worked, so that new audiences understand the value of journalism that makes those in power uncomfortable.
The figure of Guillermo Cano Isaza remains synonymous with courage, rigor and public serviceAmidst tributes and legal proceedings, his example is a reminder that freedom of expression must be defended every day and that speaking out, without fear or shortcuts, remains an essential democratic necessity.
