Rafael Ortiz Martínez

Job:
Medium:
Beats Covered:
Gender:
Local or Foreign:
Freelance:

Ortiz, a reporter for the Monclova-based daily Zócalo and host of the morning news program “Radio Zócalo” on XHCCG, was last seen leaving the newspaper’s offices in a red car at 1:30 a.m. on July 8. Sergio Cisneros, Zócalo‘s editor, said Ortiz had been editing material for a radio show the next morning.

A Zócalo company car arrived at 6 a.m. on July 9 to pick up Ortiz, but the journalist was not home. His father, Rafael Ortiz del Toro, reported the disappearance to the Coahuila state prosecutor on the morning of July 10.

No one heard from Ortiz since, and there were no signs of the car in which he was last seen, Cohauila Police Lt. Aurelio Masías told CPJ. Masías said the investigation had no concrete leads but police were focusing on Ortiz’s work.

Ortiz had reported on the prevalence of prostitution in Monclova, the resulting spread of HIV/AIDS, and its effect on families.