Mexico: A year on but still no explanation….

A year on but still no explanation….

November 20, 2007 · No Comments

José Antonio García Apac, editor of the regional weekly Ecos de la Cuenca, based in the state of Michoacán was last seen on this day last year. He was on his way home to his wife and seven children when he disappeared.

Since that date, the culprits for his disappearance have not been presented by the Mexican Government and its dedicated arm, the Special Prosecution Office for the Investigation of Crimes Against Journalists (FEADP).

His wife, Rosa Isela Caballero, believes that the disappearance of her husband was linked to the stories that Ecos de la Cuenca carried on violent score-settling between local drug cartels and alleged collusion with drug traffickers on the part of the authorities, in particular with the Zetas group (ex-paramilitaries who have turned to smuggling and kidnap for ransom).

Today, his wife and Reporters Without Borders demanded an explanation for what they say is the ‘complete failure of the investigation’ into the disappearance of the journalist.

“I am in despair over my powerlessness in the face of investigations which go nowhere,” said Rosa Isela Caballero.

The failure of the authorities in Mexico to find answers following the disappearance of José Antonio García Apac follows a depressingly similar pattern.

Six other journalists have gone missing in Mexico since 2000, according to Reporters Without Borders, and none of the cases has been solved.

Since the beginning of 2007, three journalists have been murdered in Mexico. Last month supporters noted the anniversary of the death of American IndyMedia journalist Brad Will, who was shot dead in Oaxaca in October. To date, no-one has been brought to justice for his murder.

Today, Reporters Without Border said in a statement about the disappearance of José Antonio García Apac: “Is this intolerable situation really because of a genuine absence of results in the investigation or a deliberate withholding of information on the part of the investigators? In either event, the relevant authorities have a duty to provide an explanation.”