Campaign “Voices Claiming Justice”
Campaign “Voices Claiming Justice”
Miami (June 20, 2025) — Twenty-one years after the murder of Mexican journalist Francisco Javier Ortiz Franco, the Inter American Press Association (SIP) reiterates its demand to the State of Mexico to end impunity, be transparently accountable, and adopt comprehensive reparations for the victim's family.
Ortiz Franco, co-founder and editor of the Zeta weekly in Tijuana, Baja California, was murdered on June 22, 2004, while with his two sons, who witnessed the crime but were unharmed. The material author of the attack, an armed man who approached his vehicle, was never brought to justice. More than two decades later, the case remains unresolved.
"The murder of Ortiz Franco is a tragedy still crying out for justice. We demand transparency in the investigation, accountability from the responsible authorities, and appropriate reparations for the family," said Martha Ramos, president of the IAPA's Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information and editorial director of Organización Editorial Mexicana (OEM).
"Impunity has devastating effects: it undermines public trust, weakens the right to information, and perpetuates violence against the press. Demanding truth and justice is a collective responsibility, not just a professional or family matter," she added.
In 2010, the IAPA presented Ortiz Franco's case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). The Alianza de Medios Mx from Mexico joined as the case representative in 2021. That year, the organizations informed the IACHR of the family's decision to initiate dialogue with the State's representatives to assess a potential friendly settlement agreement. However, after four years, the authorities have yet to respond formally, which has been interpreted as a sign of disinterest.
The journalist's family stated, "21 years have passed since the crime. Different political parties, of any ideological orientation, have led the federal government; however, they have had one thing in common, namely, their lack of intention to clarify the homicide, to bring the alleged perpetrators to trial, and to deliver justice to his family and the journalism profession. Meanwhile, we will continue to demand answers and fight to obtain them.”
According to Adela Navarro, general director of Zeta, "the killers of Francisco Javier Ortiz Franco, those who ordered his murder, live with the crime burden and outside the law. They have been pursued for other crimes, but not for the lethal attack on the journalist."
Navarro emphasized that "21 years of impunity in this crime against freedom of expression perfectly reflect what Mexico suffers: a mix of corruption, the ongoing risk for investigative reporters, the inability to deliver justice to victims, the State's lack of commitment to guarantee free expression, and the security conditions for those who must exercise it from a journalistic perspective."
The weekly Zeta, known for its investigations into drug trafficking in Baja California, has been the target of multiple attacks. In addition to Ortiz Franco, other Zeta journalists have been targeted by drug cartels. Héctor Félix Miranda, its co-director, was murdered in 1988, and his case remains unresolved despite being brought before the IACHR. In 1997, Jesús Blancornelas, co-founder of the media outlet, survived an attack in which his driver and bodyguard, Luis Valero Elizalde, was killed. In March 2004, Ortiz Franco was part of a working group convened by the IACHR to review the file on Félix Miranda's murder. One month later, he would be killed.
The lack of justice in these cases sends a devastating message: that journalists can be attacked without consequences. This institutional indifference not only deprives families of the right to know the truth but also encourages new acts of violence against those practicing journalism.
The IAPA campaign “Voices demanding justice” aims to keep the memory of murdered journalists alive in the Americas, highlight their professional legacy, and urge States to break the cycle of impunity through concrete actions of truth, justice, and reparation."
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.