The Colombian magazine 'Semana' undertakes a drastic change of direction

The former director of Semana magazine Ricardo Calderón Carlos Ortega / EFE

The Colombian magazine

Tuesday undertook a drastic change in its leadership after the resignations of the president and director, Alejandro Santos and Ricardo Calderón.

The publication, for decades a reference of journalism in the Andean country, appointed the journalist Vicky Dávila, until now responsible for digital content, as the new editorial director.

His predecessor, Calderón, one of the most respected investigative reporters in Latin America and winner, among others, of the King of Spain Prize for journalism, was only in charge of the magazine for a month.

Santos, former director and president of Grupo Semana, also resigns with him.

The company reported that the shareholders have reached an agreement whereby the editor Felipe López, who relaunched the publication in 1982, "will sell Gabriel Gilinski his stake in this media group."

The group of this Colombian businessman intends to turn around

which is why it also announced its merger with the economic magazine

Santos communicated his resignation through social networks.

After 20 years I want to thank all the journalists and collaborators, those of today and those of yesterday, for having achieved the dream of becoming a benchmark on the continent."

His purpose was always to turn the magazine into a

Latin American

.

His news and reports, which have shaken the political power of Colombia in the harshest stages of the armed conflict with the FARC and in the transition to peace, are not signed as in the British publication.

Yes, their columnists put names and faces.

Last April, he fired another of Latin America's great investigative journalists, Daniel Coronell.

Daniel Samper Ospina followed, with whom he launched the digital project Los Danieles.

The departure of Santos and Calderón, who for decades were a kind of house brand, combining rigor and commitment, caused a real commotion within the magazine this Tuesday afternoon.

At least a dozen reporters announced their resignation.

So did the cartoonist and illustrator Vladdo, Vladimir Flórez, one of the most influential in the country.

"Starting today, with great regret, but with absolute determination, I will withdraw from Semana Magazine, of which I was a contributor for 26 years," he wrote on Twitter.

He added: “It is not an easy decision for me, but under the new direction, it is clear that this publication will take a very different course and will cease to be the magazine to which I was proud to belong for most of my professional life. ”.

The editorial strategy of Grupo Semana, which in October also dispensed with the investigations of journalist Ariel Ávila, deputy director of the Fundación Paz y Reconcilitación and columnist for EL PAÍS, points to a shift to digital content with a commitment to a clearly more conservative line .

The company pointed out that the changes, which also includes journalist Carlos Enrique Rodríguez as deputy director, will mean "an expansion of content for subscribers."