Kidnapped journalist found dead in central Mexico

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 10 February 2016

Anabel Flores, a journalist kidnapped in Veracruz, has been found dead in Puebla state, raising concerns about journalist safety. This incident contributes to the ongoing violence against reporters in Mexico.

Summary

MEXICO CITY - A Mexican journalist kidnapped in the violent state of Veracruz was found dead on Tuesday, the prosecutors' office in neighboring Puebla state said, the latest victim of a wave of attacks on reporters in the country. Anabel Flores had been violently dragged from her home in Veracruz early on Monday morning by a group of armed men. The attorney general's office said on Tuesday it had asked the Defence Ministry if military officials entered her home, and if so, that they say who issued the warrant. Her body was found on a highway in Puebla and later identified by her family, Veracruz prosecutors said. Flores covered the police force for regional media outlets based in the town of Orizaba in Veracruz, which is considered one of the most dangerous states to be a journalist in Mexico. Prominent photographer Ruben Espinosa, who documented social movements in the Gulf of Mexico state, was murdered in a middle class Mexico City neighborhood last year. "Veracruz has become one of the most dangerous regions in the world for the press," Carlos Lauria, of the New-York based Committee to Protect Journalists, said in a statement on Monday. A report by London-based non-profit Article 19 on Tuesday said that 23 journalists had disappeared in Mexico in the last twelve years. - Reuters

KEY POINTS:

• Anabel Flores was kidnapped by armed men in Veracruz.
• Her body was found on a highway in Puebla.
• Veracruz is considered one of the most dangerous states for journalists in Mexico.
• 23 journalists have disappeared in Mexico over the last twelve years.
• The Committee to Protect Journalists highlights the rising violence against the press.