An in-depth investigation into the March 23, 2017 killing of Mexican journalist Miroslava Breach Velducea found grave omissions, flaws and irregularities in authorities’ investigation of the murder.
“Project Miroslava,” published earlier this month by Colectivo 23 de Mayo, a group of Mexican and international reporters, found that authorities appeared to ignore the alleged implication of two politicians, and that a drug trafficking gang’s threats to Breach were not properly investigated. Chihuahua state attorney general César Augusto Peniche, who heads the department in charge of investigating Breach’s murder, dismissed the findings in an interview with the Mexico City newspaper Reforma.
Breach, a correspondent for La Jornada in Chihuahua, was known for her fearless and insightful reporting on politics, organized crime, and the intersection of the two. So far, neither the state or federal investigations into her murder have led to any convictions.
“Project Miroslava,” was supported by Forbidden Stories, Bellingcat and the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (CLIP), which is headed by Maria Teresa Ronderos, a member of CPJ’s board. The report can be read in English on Forbidden Stories and Bellingcat, and in Spanish at Miroslava Project, CLIP and Pie de Página.