On June 11, the journalism community in northern Veracruz was once again shaken by violence with the murder of Luis Ángel López Valdez, a reporter for Vanguardia de Veracruz and director of the media outlet Reportaje Policiaco Veracruzano. The case once again highlights the serious risks faced by journalists in the region.
López Valdez was attacked while balancing his reporting work, focused on crime news coverage, with his job as a taxi driver. Following the attack, the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) announced the opening of the corresponding investigations.
For its part, the State Commission for the Attention and Protection of Journalists (CEAPP) strongly condemned the crime and demanded that it be solved.
Poza Rica: Two Journalists Executed in 2026
The murder of López Valdez is not an isolated incident. It is the second killing of a journalist in this municipality so far this year, both occurring on 20 de Noviembre Avenue in the Cazones neighborhood.
At that same location, on January 8, 2026, Carlos Castro, director of the news portal Código Norte Veracruz, was shot and killed.
The Cases of María Elena Ferral and Manuel Torres
Violence against the press in northern Veracruz is also reflected in cases such as that of María Elena Ferral Hernández, correspondent for Diario de Xalapa and director of Quinto Poder, who was murdered on March 30, 2020, in Papantla.
The journalist had more than 30 years of experience documenting corruption and political strongman networks before she was attacked while leaving a notary office.
Six years have passed since this femicide. The case remains marked by judicial delays, injunctions granted to alleged suspects, and the absence of full justice.
In Poza Rica, people also remember the murder of Manuel Santiago Torres González, which occurred on May 14, 2016.
Torres González was editor of the portal Noticias MT and a former correspondent for TV Azteca. He was killed with a gunshot to the head on a street in the Cazones neighborhood.
Northern Veracruz: A “Red Flag” for Journalism
The names of Luis Ángel López Valdez, Carlos Castro, María Elena Ferral, and Manuel Torres González reflect the ongoing violence that has turned northern Veracruz into a zone of silence and high risk for journalists.
Civil society organizations and national and international journalist groups have emphasized that official statements are not enough, highlighting the urgent need for genuine access to justice.
Source: imagendelgolfo
