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22GRENADAHarassed*Rawle TITUS: reporter from the Grenada Advocate, was dismissed fromhis job on 23 March 2012 as a result of political pressure applied to thenewspaper because of an article, according to Reporters Without Borders.The newspaper reportedly received letters from the Prime Minister’soffice complaining about the article written by Titus on 9 March 2012.The article said that the prime minister had selected the ruling NationalDemocratic Congress’ candidates for the next general elections withoutbothering to consult the party’s leaders.HONDURASKilled: Motive Unknown*Erick MARTÍNEZ ÁVILA: 32-year old Honduran journalist and gayrights activist, was found dead and dumped in a ditch in Guasculile, northof Tegucigalpa, on 7 May 2012. He had been strangled. Martínez was awell-known spokesman for the lesbian and gay rights group Kuculnanand was politically active in Libertad y Refundación, the party of ManuelZelaya, the former Honduran president who was deposed by a militarycoup in 2009. The motive is unknown.Death Threat*Elvis GUZMÁN: journalist and spokesman for the public prosecutor inSan Pedro Sula claimed on 15 March 2012 to have received death threatsfrom a lawyer working for the children’s special prosecutor. Guzmánclaims that the lawyer demanded photographic and video evidencerelating to a recent police raid, which Guzmán says does not exist.Guzmán claims that there have been three threats.Threatened*Dina MEZA ELVIR (f): journalist and human rights defender whoworks for the Committee of Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared inHonduras reportedly received telephoned threats of sexual violence on 14April 2012. In February 2012 she noticed two men taking photos of herwhile she was out walking with her child.MEXICOPEN is monitoring the cases of more than 44 print journalists and writerskilled in Mexico since December 2006. PEN’s Day of the Dead campaign,which highlighted the 35 killings of individuals and 8 disappearancessince 2006, was launched in November 2011. A list of these cases isavailable on request. The following list gives details of killings fromJanuary to June 2012 (‘Killed: motive unknown) as well as cases fromprevious periods where there have been developments during the periodJanuary to June 2012 (‘Killed: official investigation ongoing’).Killed: motive unknown*Marco Antonio ÁVILA GARCÍA: reporter for newspapers DiarioSonora de la Tarde and El Regional de Sonora, was abducted andmurdered on 17-18 May 2012 in Obregon, Sonora State. Witnesses saythat he was approached at a car wash by armed men and asked if hewas a journalist. After replying that he was, he was then bundled into awaiting truck. His body was discovered dumped on a road hours later.He had been tortured and then strangled to death. Police say that a note,reportedly signed by a cartel, was found near his body. They have notrevealed the contents of this note. According to communications with theSpecial Prosecutor for Crimes Against Freedom of Expression, the caseis being investigated by the attorney general of Sonora. [RAN 26/12]*VÍCTOR MANUEL BÁEZ CHINO: crime reporter for the dailynewspaper Milenio El Portal de Veracruz and editor of the website www.reporterospoliciacos.mx was found dead in a street in Xalapa, the statecapital, during the early hours of 14 June 2012. According to reports,Báez Chino was kidnapped by a group of armed men as he was leavinghis office late at night on 13 June. His body was later found dumped in astreet near where the offices of the newspapers Oye Veracruz, Gráfico deXalapa and Diario de Xalapa are located. Local and federal authoritieshave said they believe Báez Chino to be a victim of organized crime.According to reports, the drugs cartel, Los Zetas, are suspected of themurder. [RAN 30/12]*Guillermo FERNÁNDEZ GARCÍA: poet and translator, 79, was murderedon 31 March 2012 at his home in Toluca. He was bound up andkilled with a blow to the head. Neighbours discovered his body. Nothingwas stolen by the killer or killers and the motive for the murder it unknown.However, some are suggesting that the killer(s) was/were knownto Fernández as there were glasses of wine and full ashtrays in the roomwith the body. According to official correspondence with the Mexican authorities,the case has been referred to Mexico’s Attorney General. PEN isseeking more information. [RAN 16/12]*Raúl Régulo GARZA QUIRINO: reporter for the weekly newspaperLa Ultima Palabra, was gunned down on 6 January 2012 by a gang inCadereyta, state of Nuevo León. He was the first journalist in Mexico tobe murdered in 2012. Garza, who also worked for the local government’sdepartment of social development, had been driving his car on the eveningof 6 January when another car began pursuing him. Although he soughtrefuge in a garage owned by a relative, Garza was unable to escape, andhis assailants shot him numerous times. At least sixteen shots were firedduring the attack. So far, no clear motive for the attack has been identified.However, Cadereyta is a hotbed of violent crime; it is a stronghold of LosZetas, a violent drug cartel implicated in the murders of other journalists.After a preliminary investigation, police are speculating that the killingmight have been a case of mistaken identity. [RAN 02/12]*Regina MARTÍNEZ (f): journalist for investigative news magazineProceso, was found murdered at her home in the state of Veracruz on 28April 2012. She had been beaten and strangled. The journalist had reportedon drug trafficking and organised crime. According to communicationswith the Special Prosecutor for Crimes Against Freedom of Expression,the state attorney general of Veracruz is investigating the crime, but theAttorney General of the Republic will also take part. No motive is known,although a possibly link with her writing is being investigated. [RAN23/12]*René ORTA SALGADO: political activist and ex- El Sol de Cuernavacajournalist with 20 years’ experience, was reported missing by his familyon 12 May 2012; his body was discovered dumped in the boot of his carin Cuernavaca, Morelos State, 24 hours later, on 13 May. A scarf hadbeen taped across his face. Reports suggested that he had been strangled.According to the Mexican authorities, Orta had not received any deaththreats previously. The Morelos State Attorney’s Office will be carryingout the investigation into his death. Orta was a vocal supporter of the PRIpolitical party. [RAN 25/12]*Héctor Javier SALINAS AGUIRRE and Javier MOYA MUÑOZ:journalists and respectively director of local news website Futuro.mx andpress spokesman for the city of Chihuahua, were shot to death in a massacre