At about 10:45 a.m., unidentified attackers in a vehicle shot radio reporter Jacinto Romero Flores multiple times while he was driving his car on Reforma Boulevard in Potrerillo town, in the Ixtaczoquitlán municipality of coastal Veracruz state. He died at the scene.
Romero had been granted protection from state authorities after being threatened.
Romero, 60, anchored “Dígalo Sin Miedo” (“Say It Without Fear”), a radio show on Ori Stereo FM, based in the city of Orizaba, where listeners called in to discuss crime and alleged abuses by local authorities. Ori Stereo FM condemned the killing in a statement. CPJ was unable to review Romero’s latest work for the station as it does not have an online archive.
Romero also hosted “El Enano del Tapanco” (“The Dwarf of Tapanco”), a weekly Facebook-based talk show in which he and guests discussed state and national politics. In addition, he wrote regularly on a personal blog, where he had recently published stories about the environment, cultural events, and education.
Israel Hernández, executive secretary of the Veracruz State Commission for Attention to and Protection of Journalists, told CPJ that Romero reported receiving threats in February 2021 and had been enrolled in a protection program coordinated by his governmental commission, describing the measures as “moderate to light.”
“We only monitored him, because he didn’t want any additional security like bodyguards,” Hernández said, adding that Romero covered a wide range of topics, including local crime and security.
In March 2020, Romero received threats via messaging app following the publication of an article about allegations of abuse of authority by police officers at a party in the neighboring Texhuacan municipality.
In November 2021, the Veracruz state prosecutor’s office said on Facebook that three suspects had been arrested for intentional homicide: Roberto “N,” Casto “N,” and Ana Laura “N.”
Roberto “N” had been elected as a councilor for Ixtaczoquitlán City Council but was arrested before being sworn in to office.
In April 2022, authorities announced the arrest of Patricio Alejandro “N” for intentional aggravated homicide. Earlier in 2022, local media reported that Patricio Alejandro de los Santos Rosas had also been due to assume office as a councilor for Ixtaczoquitlán City Council but requested to step down.
In August 2022, Hernández, head of the journalist protection commission, told CPJ by phone that Patricio Alejandro “N” had been charged with having ordered Romero’s killing, without providing further details. No court date had been set, he said.
As of September 2024, CPJ was unable to find any updates on the case. In September 2024, CPJ’s calls to request comment from Ori Stereo FM, the state prosecutor’s office, Ixtaczoquitlán municipal police, and Ixtaczoquitlán City Council were not answered. CPJ was unable to locate contact information for the suspects, their legal representatives, or police in Texhuacan to request comment.