Background on Miroslava Breach and the Case
Miroslava Breach, a correspondent for La Jornada, was tragically killed on March 23, 2017, in Chihuahua City at the age of 53. As an investigative journalist, she dedicated over two decades to covering topics such as human rights violations, the Sierra Tarahumara situation, narcotics trafficking, and corruption.
The Accused: Hugo Amed Schultz Alcaraz
Hugo Amed Schultz Alcaraz, the former mayor of Chínipas and a member of the Partido Acción Nacional (PAN), was convicted as an accomplice in Breach’s murder. He sought conditional freedom after serving half of his eight-year sentence.
The Testimony and Allegations of Torture
Edgar Salazar Gaxiola, one of the witnesses in the case and son of Crispín Salazar Zamorano, leader of the criminal group Los Salazar (allegedly the intellectual author of Breach’s murder), was detained in January 2019 for the kidnapping of his ex-partner. However, his lawyers claimed he was tortured and had false extortion charges added to keep him incarcerated as a witness.
Arguments Against Conditional Freedom
Ricardo Sánchez Pérez del Pozo, head of the Fiscalía Especial para la Atención de Delitos Cometidos contra la Libertad de Expresión (Feadle) within the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), argued against Schultz Alcaraz’s conditional freedom. He stated that releasing the ex-mayor poses a significant risk to indirect victims of Breach’s homicide.
Sánchez Pérez del Pozo explained that Schultz Alcaraz was sentenced as an accomplice who handed over a recording of a phone call between Breach and PAN spokesperson Alfredo Piñera. The recording proved that Breach agreed to be the source of a report on narco-politics, making her freedom a considerable threat as “a link between crime and government.”
Judge’s Decision
Federal judge María Elena López Morales decided that granting Schultz Alcaraz conditional freedom would endanger the indirect victims, specifically Breach’s family. The judge emphasized that the ex-mayor’s release posed a high risk due to his role in connecting criminal activities with governmental affairs.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who was Miroslava Breach? Miroslava Breach was an investigative journalist who covered human rights violations, the Sierra Tarahumara situation, narcotics trafficking, and corruption for over two decades.
- Who is Hugo Amed Schultz Alcaraz? Hugo Amed Schultz Alcaraz is the former mayor of Chínipas, Chihuahua, convicted as an accomplice in the murder of Miroslava Breach.
- Why was Schultz Alcaraz denied conditional freedom? Judge María Elena López Morales determined that granting Schultz Alcaraz conditional freedom posed a risk to indirect victims, specifically Breach’s family, due to his role in connecting criminal activities with governmental affairs.
