New York, February 8, 2016–The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned for the safety of Anabel Flores Salazar, a Mexican crime reporter who was abducted from her home in Orizaba, Veracruz state, at about 2 a.m. today by armed men who claimed to have an arrest warrant for her, according to reports. The general prosecutor for Veracruz released a statement saying it is investigating the disappearance.
“We are shocked by this kidnapping and urge Mexican authorities to do everything in their power to locate Anabel Flores Salazar and bring her back to safety,” said Carlos Lauría, CPJ’s senior program coordinator for the Americas. “Veracruz has become one of the most dangerous regions in the world for the press, crippling citizens’ rights to access vital information about crime and corruption. The Mexican federal government must put an end to this cycle of endless violence by bringing the perpetrators of this crime to justice.”
Flores Salazar covered crime and the police beat for the newspaper El Sol de Orizaba and contributed to El Buen Tono and El Mundo de Orizaba. Her paper, El Sol de Orizaba, told CPJ the reporter’s disappearance is still being investigated. Veracruz is one of the most dangerous states in Mexico for journalists. Of the 11 journalists killed in direct retaliation for their work in Mexico since 2011, six were either killed in Veracruz or had reported in the state, CPJ research shows. CPJ is investigating the murder of at least seven other journalists in the state.