Yolanda Ordaz de la Cruz explained

Yolanda Ordaz de la Cruz
Birth Date:1963
Birth Place:Juchitán de Zaragoza, Oaxaca, Mexico
Disappeared Date:24 July 2011
Disappeared Place:Veracruz, Veracruz, Mexico
Death Date:26 July 2011
Death Place:Boca del Río, Veracruz, Mexico
Death Cause:Murder
Resting Place:Juchitán de Zaragoza, Oaxaca, Mexico
Education:Media studies at Universidad Veracruzana
Occupation:Crime journalist
Years Active:28+
Employer:Notiver
Children:2

Yolanda Ordaz de la Cruz (1963 – 26 July 2011) was a crime reporter who had worked for nearly three decades for Notiver, the largest-circulation newspaper in Veracruz, Mexico.[1] She was kidnapped on July 24, 2011, and her corpse was found beheaded two days later in the neighboring port town of Boca del Río.[2] The crime remains unsolved with no charges brought and different hypotheses in existence. The general attorney of the state of Veracruz, Reynaldo Escobar, said that the investigation was considering the alleged relationship of some journalists with organized crime. Notiver saw these declarations as a menace to journalists[3] [4] and linked the slaying to Ordaz's investigation of the murder of three colleagues a month earlier.

Background

Yolanda Ordaz de la Cruz was the fourth journalist killed in Veracruz in 2011 as a result of the Mexican Drug War.[5] The first was Noel López Olguín in March. On July 20, Notiver crime columnist Miguel Ángel López Velasco, his wife and their son Miseal López Solana, who also worked at Notiver as a crime photographer, were murdered in their home.[6] [7] In 2012 drug trafficking related violence increased in Veracruz, including the murder of Procesos journalist Regina Martínez in April and the killing of four media professionals in May, including Guillermo Luna Varela, who had been colleague of Ordaz at Notiver.

The state of Veracruz faces crime primarily from Los Zetas drug cartel.[8] Since early 2010, there have been multiple shootings and gunfights which have taken place as part of the territorial fight between Los Zetas and the Gulf Cartel.

Ordaz had been a close friend to the López family, as she and Miguel López had worked together for years.[9] Just a week before her death, Ordaz had questioned Escobar about the lack of results in the investigation about her colleagues' murders.[10] At the time of her own murder, she was looking into her co-workers' deaths.

Death

Yolanda Ordaz received several letters with death threats before she was killed.[11] The journalist was reported missing by her relatives on the night of Sunday July 23, 2011. She had told them she was going out to cover a story and never returned home. On Tuesday July 26, 2011, her decapitated body was found with signs of torture, and her head was found behind the offices of the Imagen del Golfo news station, in Boca del Río. There was a note written in Spanish saying "Friends can also betray you. Sincerely, Carranza." Juan Carlos Carranza, former transit police officer and allegedly a local leader of Los Zetas,[12] had been signaled by the general attorney as the main suspect of the murder of the family López Velasco.

The case remains open and the motivation for the crime is still unclear. The day after the murder, Escobar said that Ordaz's murder was a settling of scores between crime gangs, but he did not present any proof. Journalist [13] also published similar allegations in his column. Notiver publicly requested the resignation of Escobar for these declarations A few days after the crime the Mexican army killed two alleged drug cartel members, and the prosecutor said that one of them had an ID document of Yolanda Ordaz.[14] Additionally, two accusatory videos were published anonymously on the internet, mentioning Ordaz as a mediator for Los Zetas.[15] Other journalists speaking anonymously told McClatchy that López and Ordaz may have been passing information to military intelligence and had been killed by crime gangs in vengeance.

Reactions

Many reporters for the Notiver newspapers went into hiding or did not show up for work after their three co-workers had been killed.[16]

The reporting community demanded a thorough investigation of the deaths of their fellow employees so as to bring their killers to justice.[17]

Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova said, "The latest case in an increasing global trend of women journalists being targeted, which I am deeply concerned about. It is essential that the authorities investigate the alarming number of attacks on reporters in Veracruz and bring their culprits to justice."[18]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Johnson . Tim . Crime reporter believed probing boss's death killed in Mexico - World Wires . MiamiHerald.com . 2012-03-22.
  2. News: BBC News - Mexico: Missing journalist Yolanda Ordaz found killed . Bbc.co.uk . 2011-07-27 . 2012-03-22.
  3. News: Veracruz: diario pide la salida del procurador tras asesinato de reportera . CNN México . 2011-07-27 . 2013-04-19.
  4. News: Thursday, March 22, 2012 as of 13:26 PM EDT . Paper of slain Mexican reporter says state AG should resign | Fox News Latino . Latino.foxnews.com . 2011-07-27 . 2012-03-22.
  5. Web site: Journalist found decapitated in Mexico. Committee to Protect Journalists. 23 April 2012. July 26, 2011.
  6. News: UNESCO condemns murder of journalists in Mexico, Brazil. IBNS (India Blooms News Service). July 30, 2011.
  7. http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2011/06/20/journalist-2-family-members-murdered-in-mexico/ Journalist, 2 family members murdered in Mexico
  8. News: Mexican president: State was left to drug cartel. October 14, 2011. 2012-04-28.
  9. News: Mexican police reporter murdered. BBC Monitoring World Media. July 27, 2011. BBC Worldwide Monitoring BBC Worldwide Monitoring BBC Worldwide Monitoring.
  10. Book: Franco, Darwin. Bosch. Lolita. Alejandro. Vélez Salas. Tú y yo coincidimos en la noche terrible. Nuestra Aparente Rendición. November 2012. 233–235. ¿Para qué le puede servir un periodista a los criminales?.
  11. News: MEXICO: Global press speaks out on recent murder of woman journalist Yolanda Ordaz . Women News Network . 2011-07-31 . 2012-03-22.
  12. Web site: ¿Quién es El Ñaca?, presunto homicida de Milo Vela . Veracruz.com . 2011-06-23 . 2013-05-12.
  13. Web site: Pasillos del Poder . DPoderaPoder.mx . 2011-08-04 . 2013-05-12 . César Augusto Vázquez Chagoya.
  14. Web site: Traía sicario abatido identificación de la periodista asesinada en Veracruz . Proceso . 2011-08-04 . 2013-05-12 . Regina Martínez . Regina Martínez .
  15. Web site: Killings spark questions about journalists' ties to Mexican gangs . McClatchy . 2011-08-11 . 2013-05-12 . Tim Johnson.
  16. News: O'Connor . Mike . Yolanda Ordaz de la Cruz - Tag Results - Committee to Protect Journalists . Cpj.org . 2012-03-22.
  17. News: Reports: Journalist beheaded;. McClatchy Newspapers. July 27, 2011. The Houston Chronicle.
  18. Web site: Director-General condemns killing of Mexican journalist Yolanda Ordaz de la Cruz . UNESCO . 2013-05-12 . 2011-07-29.