Anabel Flores Salazar

Anabel Flores Salazar (c. 1984 – 9 February 2016), a Mexican journalist working for the El Sol de Orizaba in Orizaba, Veracruz, Mexico, was murdered and found dead on the Cuacnopalan-Tehuacan highway in Puebla, Mexico. Her death is one of many in the Veracruz region thought to be related to drug cartel violence.

Early life Anabel Flores Salazar was a Mexican journalist. She was thirty two years old when she was kidnapped and murdered. Salazar's aunt, Sandra Luz Salazar, was with her on the day that she was kidnapped. Salazar was married to a previous commander of the Nogales police, Alejandro Báez Juárez. She was the mother of a 2-week-old newborn and a young son when she was kidnapped from her home. She had worked as a reporter for at least six years prior to her murder. Salazar worked for El Buen Tono before she began working for El Sol de Orizaba. However, due to her investment in a vehicle that seemed to be out of her price range, Salazar's boss thought she was secretly working with criminals to gain more money. Because of this, she was let go from her job at El Buen Tono nearly a year before her death. After Salazar's family reported the incident, local police began a search for Salazar, placing clearance zones along heavily traveled roads in the area. However, her aunt, Sandra, confirmed that Salazar was only at the restaurant to enjoy a meal with her family and had had no connection with the man.

Context It is believed that Salazar's murder is connected to drug cartel violence. The same day that Salazar's body was found, two other bodies were uncovered on a property connected to illegal activities, including drug storage. These bodies were connected to a crime that Salazar had been investigating before she was murdered.

Reactions Irina Bokova, UNESCO's director-general, said, "I condemn the murder of Anabel Flores Salazar. This crime has deprived people of a voice that nourished informed public debate and contributed to the free flow of information. In the name of justice and in order to promote safer working conditions for journalists, I call on the authorities to investigate this crime and bring its perpetrators to trial."