SANTO DOMINGO — 1975 · Murder
The Assassination of Journalist Orlando Martínez
Left-wing journalist Orlando Martínez Howley, director of the magazine 'Ahora' and a columnist for El Nacional, was a sharp critic of Joaquín Balaguer's government and of corruption in the military. He was shot dead in Santo Domingo on 17 March 1975. The killing went unpunished for years during the Balaguer era known as 'the Twelve Years'. After the Santo Domingo prosecutor reopened the case in the late 1990s, four men alleged to have belonged to a death squad were tried. In August 2000 they, including a retired air force general, were each sentenced to 30 years in prison. The verdict was seen as a milestone for judicial independence, and Martínez became a symbol of press freedom.
- Date
- 1975
- Place
- Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, DO
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 18.4700, -69.9300 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 17 March 1975Orlando Martínez was shot dead in Santo Domingo.
- 1975-1990sThe case remained unsolved during the Balaguer years.
- Late 1990sThe Santo Domingo prosecutor reopened the case.
- August 2000Four defendants, including a retired general, were each sentenced to 30 years.
Sources
- BBC News — Dominican general jailed over killing (2000) news.bbc.co.uk ↗
- Wikipedia (ES) — Orlando Martínez es.wikipedia.org ↗
- BBC News
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.