Catalina Botero Marino

Catalina Botero Marino (born 7 September 1965 in Bogotá)[1] is a Colombian attorney who served as the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression for the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) from 2008 to 2014.[2] Since 2016, she has been Dean of the Law School of the University of Los Andes (Colombia). On 6 May 2020, Facebook appointed her to its Oversight Board.[3]

Catalina Botero (2014)

Early life and education

Botero is the daughter of an architect/designer and an ecologist.[4] She attended the Juan Ramón Jiménez secondary school in Bogotá and received her law degree in 1988 from the University of the Andes.[5]

While a student, Botero was a leader of the "Septima Papeleta" (Seventh Ballot) Movement, which called for the convocation of a National Constituent Assembly in Colombia in 1991.[6]

After receiving her law degree, she went on to do postgraduate studies in Public Management and Administrative Law at the same university. She continued her postgraduate work in Madrid, where she studied human rights at the University Human Rights Institute at the Universidad Complutense (1990–91), studied constitutional rights and political science at the Center for Constitutional Studies (1992), and received a degree in advanced studies (DEA) at the Universidad Carlos III.[7]

Professional life

Special Rapporteur

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) elected Botero as Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression on 21 July 2007.[5] She took up the position in July 2008.[8]

In August 2010, Botero and Frank La Rue, the then UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, made recommendations to the Mexican government regarding freedom of expression and access to public information. They stated that Mexico is the most dangerous country for journalists in the Americas.[9] They also criticized the fact that impunity was widespread in Mexico, that free expression was constrained by federal and state laws, that there was lack of media plurality, and that access to public information was increasingly restricted.[10][11]

In 2011, Botero wrote an article entitled "Freedom of Expression in the Americas," which observed that while Latin American military dictatorships had given way, in large part, to democratic governments, a "culture of secrecy" remained in place, as did "restrictive press laws." It stated that while "the region faces a number of major challenges," including the protection of journalists, the decriminalization of speech acts, access to information, direct and indirect censorship, and pluralism and diversity in public debate.[12]

In 2012, after Botero criticized attacks on the news media by Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, he joined Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez in dismissing her criticism of their governments and submitting a proposal to the OAS "to review the freedom of expression office and limit its jurisdiction."[13]

On 22 March 2013, El Comercio (Peru) reported that Botero had expressed concern over restrictions on the commission and its funding that had been proposed by Ecuador, saying that it should have "a permanent fund...that would allow the commission to completely fulfill all its responsibilities." Otherwise, she warned, the Special Rapporteur's office would have to be closed.[14]

Other professional activities

In January 2008, Botero took part in a seminar on "Media and Government," arranged in Washington, D.C., by the Inter-American Dialogue.[14] Botero is a member of the Inter-American Dialogue. In 2012, she was the keynote speaker at a Mexico City event entitled "Change Your World," sponsored by Yahoo!, at which women from around the Americas gathered to discuss and exchange experiences and ideas relating to human rights and technology.[15]

In 2016, Marino, along with a group of Colombian lawyers, the Global Freedom of Expression project at Columbia University, UNESCO, Dejusticia, and The Foundation for Press Freedom, created the Freedom of Expression Case Law online database, allowing access to information of the highest courts of 16 Latin American countries.[16]

References
  1. (La Silla Líder), Fundación Libertad y Democracia. "#Líderes Catalina Botero, abanderada de la generación de la Constitución del 91 #TrendingLíder360º". La Silla Vacía. Archived from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  2. "International Courts Face a Female Power Push".
  3. "Facebook names first members of oversight board that can overrule Zuckerberg". Reuters. 7 May 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  4. "Catalina Botero, defensora de la expresión de todo el continente". Semana Magazine. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  5. "IAHCR Elects Catalina Botero Marino as Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression". Organization of American States. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  6. "Freedom of Expression: Catalina Botero". Questia. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  7. "Catalina Botero Marino" (PDF). Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  8. "Catalina Botero". The Wilson Center. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  9. "Relatorías para la libertad de expresión de la ONU y la OEA concluyen visita a México". Campaña Permanente. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  10. "Presentan Relatorías de Libertad de Expresión ONU y OEA informe preliminar sobre su visita oficial conjunta". Campaña Permanente. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  11. "'En el plebiscito a todos nos faltó humildad': Catalina Botero".
  12. "La Libertad de Expresión en las Américas". FOPEA. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  13. "Tensions rise between Ecuadorian President and free expression watchdog". UNCUT. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  14. "La CIDH advierte que se cerraría relatoría de prensa si se restringe financiamiento". El Comercio. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  15. "Catalina Botero, la mujer latina que cuida tusderechos". Yahoo! Mexico. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
  16. "Online global database of freedom of expression case law in Latin America now available".
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