Miami (October 27, 2025) – The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) strongly condemns the murder of Miguel Ángel Beltrán in the state of Durango, Mexico. The journalist had made public allegations against organized crime.
Days before his death, Miguel Ángel Beltrán had posted on social media about rising violence and the presence of criminal groups in the region.
Miami (October 27, 2025) – The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) strongly condemns the murder of Miguel Ángel Beltrán in the state of Durango, Mexico. The journalist had made public allegations against organized crime.
Beltrán, 60, was last seen by his son on October 23. His body, bearing apparent signs of violence, was found two days later in the town of Río Chico, along the Durango–Mazatlán highway, wrapped in a blanket and accompanied by a message that read: “For spreading lies about the people of Durango,” according to local media reports.
The journalist had a long career in Durango’s media outlets and, in recent years, had expanded his activity on digital platforms. Days before his death, he had posted on social media about rising violence and the presence of criminal groups in the region. On TikTok he identified himself as “El Capo” and on Facebook as La Gazzeta Dgo, according to press reports.
Pierre Manigault, who assumed the IAPA presidency on October 19, stated: “In this moment of pain and shock, we extend our solidarity to the family, colleagues, and friends of Miguel Ángel Beltrán.” Manigault, Chairman of the newspaper group Evening Post Publishing Inc., in Charleston, South Carolina, added: “We urgently call on the authorities to ensure that his murder does not go unpunished.”
The chair of the IAPA’s Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, Martha Ramos, noted that “given the nature of Beltrán’s journalistic work, focused on issues of public interest and allegations related to organized crime, it is necessary to consider that his murder could be linked to the exercise of his profession.” Ramos, editorial director of the Organización Editorial Mexicana (OEM), urged authorities in Durango and the federal government of Mexico “to immediately activate the appropriate investigative mechanisms to clarify the circumstances of this crime".
Beltrán was also a contributor to the local media outlets Contexto and La Voz de Durango, where he mainly covered sports and crime. He also served as spokesperson for the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE) in Durango.
The IAPA has been denouncing death threats, judicial harassment, and other forms of aggression suffered by Mexican journalists investigating organized crime or reporting on irregularities in local governments.
The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.