User:Crtew/Darío Fernández Jaén

Darío Fernández Jaén, (ca. 1949 – November 11, 2011), a Panamanian media owner and program director for the radio station Mi Favorita in Penonomé, located just outside of Panama. Jaén used his position to broadcast on the topics of corruption and acted as journalist without being considered a "professional" journalist.

Personal
Dario Fernandez Jaen was the owner and program director of the radio station. His exact birthday is unknown but an estimate of his birth year is around 1949. Jaen had a wife, daughter, and son that are known of. Although Jaen was not a professional journalist, he still broadcasted strong subjects of interest such as corruption which put him in a dangerous position like professional journalist. Jaen served as the governor of the Colce province three times; 1985, 1996, and 2004. He governed the province during the Ernesto Perez Balladeres and Martin Torrijos administrations. Jaen also served as the Vice Minister of the now defunct Ministry of Youth, Women, and Family.

Career
Darío Fernández Jaén was the owner and program producer of a local Penonomé radio station called Mi Favorita. There he used his broadcasts to often speak out about any corruption happening. At the time one of his most recent broadcasts had been about the illegal land titles issued in Colce Province.

Death
Dario Fernandez Jaen was murdered at the age of 62 on November 6th, 2011. His death took many by surprise because he had no known enemies. Leading up to the shooting, Jaen was walking home with his son but when they arrived to their house Jaen was shot twice. Jaen was still alive at the scene but later passed away at a local hospital. Jaens son ran after the shooter in attempts to stop him but the murderer shot Dario which caused him to back down from chasing him. At least two men are suspected to be involved with the murder of Dario Fernandez Jaen, however, their identities are not public.The murder was ordered by a Colombian drug trafficker who paid $35,000, according to statements made by a witness being protected by the Public Ministry. Reporters without borders said that Jaen often spoke on the air on the subject of corruption which put him at risk just like many other journalist. Jaens involvement with speaking out on corruption have lead many to think that the motive behind the murder may have been linked to Jaen’s claims that illegal land titles had allegedly been issued in Colce province.

Investigation
During investigation, police looked into reports that Jaen had received threats concerning the stations alleged irregularities in allocation of local land titles. The station had also allegedly reported that officials had provided land to corporations close to the government. Having this knowledge, a government official was arrested in November and charged with carrying out Jaens murder, however, no evidence was immediately disclosed. It was anticipated that a “judge of guarantees” would determine if the continued detention of the suspect involved with the murder is legal or not. The hearing was held at the Adversarial Criminal Justice System in Llano Marin, Penonemo where the judge declared the arrest of the suspect was legal then ordered his provisional detention and set a deadline of six months to investigate the assassination of the former governor. During the investigation, Jaens daughter, Yerina Fernández, said her father learned that her grandmother's name was used for a fraudulent transaction. There ended up being a total of 6 accused of being involved in the murder.

Context
Panama is a multiparty constitutional democracy. The government has prosecuted few alleged cases of corruption or abuse of authority by government officials, which left the perception of impunity. Jaen was murdered in relation to a claim he made about alleged land titles that had been illegally issued in the Colce province.

Impact
Jaens murder was connected to him exposing illegal land titles that were being issued. However, Jaen was not the only one who was murdered by the hand of a criminal. Just a month later, the Honduran reporter, Luz Marina Paz Villalobos, was shot multiple times along with the person believed to be her cameraman.

Reactions
The Attorney General of the Nation, Ana Belfon, was in the audience room yesterday and described the process as "historic", since the accusatory criminal system, released in 2011, is applied in the provinces of Coclé and Veraguas.

"I thought someone would make a joke on Darío when he pointed to him," recalled Damaris Fernández, one of the witnesses, who was on the night of November 6 at the Conchita Román de Tejeira park, where the ex-governor was killed.

"We need to know why these things happened. This can not be left like that and that is what I ask of the authorities, that justice be done," said the son.

"It has been a long walk, a via crucis in which we have been filled with pain, anguish and uncertainty," said Alma Yerina Fernández, daughter of the deceased, who said she trusted in justice and condemned those responsible.

Citations to use

 * prensa1


 * prensa2


 * First stories: The Panama Digest La Prensa Panama America


 * Investigations:


 * La Prensa 3 on suspects:


 * "A Drug Trafficker Ordered The Murder Of Former Governor of Cocle":


 * Funeral, suspect held:


 * Suspect held:


 * Two suspects:


 * Prelim hearing:


 * Most recent developments:


 * laestrella


 * Trial1 Prensa 4:


 * Prensa 5

Translated
 * Good obit

Ok Sources:


 * CPJ:


 * RSF:


 * Knight Center1:


 * Knight Center2:


 * Impunidad


 * US State Dept: