In less than two months, two women journalists who covered drug-related violence have been killed in Mexico. Yolanda Ordaz a reporter for the Vera Cruz coastal newspaper “Notiver” and more recently, thirty-nine-year-old María Elisabeth Macías Castro, a reporter for the regional newspaper “Primera Hora,” based in the town of Nuevo Laredo located in northern Mexico close to the U.S./Texas border.
Macías’ murder is considered the first documented case in Mexico where the murder is thought to be a direct retaliation for journalism that was specifically posted. using online social media. She was also an active Twitter user and was in favor of using social media to post helpful information for society related to organized crime.
Her violent early morning murder came with a cryptic well-placed message:
For those who do not want to believe, this happened to me for my actions, for trusting ‘Sedena’ (Mexico’s Army) and ‘Marina’ (Mexico’s Navy). Thank you for your attention. Sincerely, ‘La Nena de Laredo’ (Elisabeth Macías’ name online)… ZZZZ.
The signature with the letter ‘Z’ suggests a strong link to the notorious criminal cartel named ‘Los Zetas’.
