María Claudia Gómez, is the young woman from Barranquilla who this week was the victim of grievances and bullying and even threats for being allegedly infected with the coronavirus, a case that turned out to be false.
The young woman came from Mexico and in Bogotá took the connection to Barranquilla. Inside the plane she coughed, which caused panic and unleashed a series of insults that went viral through social networks and some media.
This occurred Monday night and was recorded by some of the passengers of flight 8218 of Viva Air on the Bogotá-Barranquilla route. Apparently it was the same crew that alerted to a possible coronavirus case, which generated the angry reaction of the passengers against María Claudia.
At the Ernesto Cortissoz airport, security protocols were activated.
“The disinformation, in this case, generated panic, they invented that I had come from Spain and that I had the virus, it is false, I came from Mexico and I never felt symptoms’ said María Claudia.
She said what she experienced inside the plane that night, in which she assured that she received all kinds of insults and asked for respect for all.
She took the opportunity to request that his case be used so that citizens avoid pointing out people in these difficult times that the world is going through and demanded responsibility when it comes to spreading news.
“A simple cough on the plane unleashed a drama and uncovered all of this. The disinformation, in this case, generated panic, they made up that I had come from Spain and that I had the virus, it is false, I came from Mexico and I never felt any symptoms. After this, I received many insults and threats.
“This is a reality that we are living, I ask for more solidarity and respect for all these situations. We need empathy and solidarity. Behind every story is a human being. Let’s be aware, we need to get better information,” said the young woman.
The mayor of Barranquilla, Jaime Pumarejo, met with the young woman and invited citizens not to continue spreading false news, nor to point out those who have any contagion.
“We always consult truthful sources, because something like this can affect a person. In these difficult times we have to take care of ourselves and we cannot let our guard down in front of things like these, information overcomes fear, let’s use official channels. Before forwarding something, let’s think,” said Pumarejo.
Both mayor Jaime Pumarejo and María Claudia Gómez asked to make responsible use of social networks and invited Barranquilla residents to disseminate information that is only issued by the authorities and official channels.
The District Government Secretariat said that criminal complaints will be instituted, based on current legal regulations, against those people who through social networks and other media are spreading false information and creating panic among citizens.
Complaints will be made based on the provisions established by the Penal Code, especially those that clearly define the crimes of terrorism, panic and violation of sanitary measures, pursuant to articles 343, 355 and 368, respectively, and their corresponding sanctions, contemplated in Titles XII and XIII of said statute.
Source: El Tiempo
