Orlando Sierra Hernández (September 21, 1959 - February 1, 2002) was a Colombian columnist and journalist, deputy director for La Patria, main newspaper in Manizales, the capital city of the Department of Caldas, in Colombia.

[1][2] In addition to this column, which openly criticized the corruption of Colombian politicians, Hernández wrote a novel called La estación de los sueños (The Season of Dreams) and three poetry books.

[1][7][5] A few years after the investigation of Sierra's murder, which was headed by the National Human Rights Unit of the Prosecutor's Office, Luis Frenando Soto Zapata was convicted and received a 19-year prison sentence.

[5][11] However, seven Colombian magazines and newspapers believed the crime was not fully solved, and they came together to create Project Manizales in an effort to raise awareness for Sierra Hernández and investigate his case further.

[1] In fact, he wrote a column in March 1996 laying out why Francisco Ferney Tapasco González was completely unfit to be the president of the assembly of Caldas.

[4] This column put a target on his back, and he even had to have bodyguards to protect him in 1998 when his life had been threatened due to his remarks which condemned the rampant corruption occurring within the Colombian government.

Koichiro Matsuura, director-general of UNESCO, said, "The murder of Orlando Sierra Hernández is one more tragedy in the long list of attacks on freedom of expression in Colombia.

"[8] Additionally, upon hearing of Topasco's sentence, Gustavo Mohme, President of the IAPA and editor of the newspaper La República, said, “At last justice has been done,” he added that this was “a great piece of news to celebrate for Orlando Sierra’s memory, for the suffering of the members of his family, for the honor of the La Patria colleagues, and for justice for all murdered Colombian journalists whose cases continue to go unpunished.”[5]