“Clowns of shit…”: controversy over insults by an RTVC presenter to the opposition

A new controversy surrounds the management of public media in Colombia. The presenter of the program The sign of the morning of Radio Nacional, María Cristina Estupiñán, is in the eye of the hurricane for insults against the opposition behind the news broadcast on RTVC.

Estupiñán is the voice and image of the main news program that is broadcast in the morning, both on the radio and live on the Institutional Channel. Furthermore, according to journalist Juan Pablo Calvas, she is in charge of deciding the contents and directing the information system.

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His voice is the one that appears in a series of audios that he revealed W Radio in which he insults members of the opposition. One of them was recorded at the beginning of February when news was broadcast about the tour of congressmen from the Democratic Center in the United States.

Once the news broadcast ended, Estupiñán said “bad fucking clowns,” as heard in the recording. The comment in reference to opposition members occurred off microphones, so it was not heard by the audience.

However, he did face the entire program team, such as cameramen, journalists, technicians and other members of the news desk. The sign of the morning. Even members of the team have already complained about these types of comments to RTVC manager Nórida Rodríguez.

Apparently the derogatory and hostile atmosphere against the opposition would be recurring. The station learned of another audio in which a similar reaction was presented by the presenter during an interview with another member of the opposition on the same program.

After a note with councilor Óscar Ramírez Vahos, also from the Democratic Center and a frequent critic of Gustavo Petro’s Government, another comment was recorded. Once the report concluded, outside the broadcast, the presenter reacted with insults.

“Parido,” is heard in the audio that was recorded by Estupiñán. Later, he expresses his annoyance with reporting on the agendas of the contradictors. “Well, the opposition is given space there, they won’t be able to complain,” the recording continues.

According to journalist Calvas, Estupiñán’s comments have gone deeper within public radio. In recent days, there was a meeting with Mabel Castillo, Rodríguez’s advisor, in which several workers and journalists expressed concern about an apparent sectarian handling of the information.

Even Rodríguez, in an interview with Infobae Colombia in January 2024, indicated that his position towards RTVC management was that its management be impartial and not at the service of the Government. “I am not at the service of the state, but of all Colombians, especially those in the most remote populations,” he said.

In recent days, several controversies have also arisen around the public media system. One of them due to the hiring of a young man known for being an activist on social networks and having participated in President Petro’s campaign.

This is David Rozo, known as Don Izquierdo, who will be part of the RTVC digital team. When announcing the position he will assume, he thanked Nórida Rodríguez and indicated that he would work for the country’s alternative media. In addition, he reiterated that from his account he had counterbalanced the traditional media.

However, his appointment did not go down well with some sectors of the opposition and the media, who accused him of having promoted false information or lacking experience. Hollman Morris, deputy manager of RTVC, has defended the links and information management, ensuring that it is a channel at the service of peace.