He hosted a morning public affairs show called "Fuerzas Vivas" (Translated: "Live Forces") with opinions about politics that critics found to be insulting to some Barrancabermeja politicians.
[5][2] On his program, Rivas accused the mayor of corruption and collaboration with members of the right-wing paramilitary group United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, known as the AUC.
[1] On April 5, 2003, a day before his death, José Emeterio Rivas publicly accused the town's mayor Julio César Ardila Torres and other local politicians of corruption and collaboration with members of the right-wing paramilitary group AUC.
[12][10][1][13][9] The mayor and his three collaborators, Fabio Pajón Lizcano, Abelardo Rueda Tobón, and Juan Pablo Ariza, who were a few of his high-up officials, had hired militia leaders to kill Rivas with the reward for $68,000.
Although they are doing their job by stating their political opinions, like Rivas when he called the mayor a "plunderer", there are very few cases reported that have been brought to justice after death threats and murders to a journalist.
[16] The Committee to Protect Journalists released a statement after the case was resolved in the courts: "We welcome the sentencing of these three former officials for plotting the murder of José Emeterio Rivas.
We commend the attorney general's office and its human rights unit for taking this crucial step forward in the campaign to end impunity in the murders of journalists around the world.