Sonora, Mexico: Journalist Jorge Molontzín Missing

Journalist Jorge Molontzín Centlal disappeared on March 10 in the state of Sonora and there is no news about his whereabouts, the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) association reported on Wednesday.

Molontzín, according to a statement from the weekly Confidencial, where he worked, disappeared along with his friend Eudocio Cruz Méndez, who used to accompany him on visits to town halls to gather information and distribute the magazine.

The trail of both was lost when they traveled by highway in a red truck through the state of Sonora on March 10.

“From there calls to their phones went straight to mailbox. And so far they haven’t appeared anywhere,” their weekly colleagues denounced in the statement.

According to his colleagues, neither Molontzín nor Cruz are involved in any “illegal activities or (have) relationships with criminal groups of any kind.”

“Their families, colleagues and friends of this weekly are in obvious fear for their safety, so we ask the corresponding authorities to take action on this matter,” they asked from the Confidential, because “their lives are at high risk “in light of the reality faced by journalists in Mexico.

“There is no explanation or justification whatsoever for this to happen, the violence has exceeded all limits and civil society dedicated to their jobs and family doesn’t have to become what they call ‘collateral damage’, because in reality they are only innocent victims in the crossfire of criminal groups, “lamented his companions.

The organization for the defense of communicators Article 19 asked on Twitter the federal authorities and the Government and Prosecutor’s Office of Sonora for “the immediate search and location of the journalist and his colleague alive.”

Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for the press due to attacks by the authorities and organized crime. In 2020 at least eight journalists were killed for their work, according to Reporters Without Borders.

From 2000 to date, the Article 19 association has documented 137 murders of journalists in Mexico in possible relation to their work.

https://www.diariodemexico.com/mi-nacion/desaparece-periodista-jorge-molontzin-en-sonora