CULIACÁN — 2017 · Murder
The Murder of Journalist Javier Valdez
Javier Valdez Cárdenas, a journalist known for his books on drug trafficking and organised crime in Sinaloa and as a founder of the weekly Ríodoce, was shot dead by gunmen around noon on 15 May 2017 in Culiacán, a few blocks from the paper's office. Valdez, 50, had received the Committee to Protect Journalists' International Press Freedom Award in 2011. The killing was condemned by the United States, the UN and the European Union and became a symbol of the violence that has made Mexico one of the world's most dangerous countries for journalists. In 2020 one of the gunmen pleaded guilty and received 14 years; in 2021 another was convicted and sentenced to 32 years. Questions about who ordered the killing have never been fully resolved.
- Date
- 2017
- Place
- Sinaloa, Mexico, Culiacán, MX
- Category
- Murder
- Case Status
- Solved
- Coordinates
- 24.8091, -107.3940 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 2003Valdez and colleagues founded the weekly Ríodoce.
- 2011He received the International Press Freedom Award.
- 15 May 2017He was shot dead by gunmen in Culiacán.
- February 2020One of the gunmen pleaded guilty and received 14 years.
- June 2021A second gunman was convicted and sentenced to 32 years.
Sources
- Los Angeles Times — Veteran Mexican journalist Javier Valdez is killed latimes.com ↗
- BBC Mundo — Matan a tiros en Sinaloa a Javier Valdez bbc.com ↗
- Wikipedia — Javier Valdez Cárdenas en.wikipedia.org ↗
- Los Angeles Times
- BBC Mundo
- 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.