Today in History:

On August 12, 1925, Guillermo Cano Isaza was born in Bogotá, Colombia. But 61 years later, he would be assassinated by hitmen linked to Colombian drug cartels. It is believed that his murder came about because of his work in journalism as the Director of El Espectador, where he had been covering the influence of the cartels in Colombian politics. Guillermo Cano Isaza had worked at El Espectador for more than thirty years at the time of his murder. He received the 1987 Cabot Prize posthumously as a memorial to his courage and to the sacrifices he made for the free press.

UNESCO also honored his memory by creating an annual prize that bears his name in 1997: the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. The Prize is awarded to those who do outstanding work to defend the freedom of the press. And in 2000, the International Press Institute named him one of the 50 World Press Freedom Heroes of the 20th century.