In memoriam...


Ismael Villagómez

Ismael Villagómez Tapia, a photojournalist for El Heraldo de Juárez, was shot in the face and killed early Thursday morning, November 16, 2023, in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, according to local authorities.

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The incident occurred in a residential area of Ciudad Juárez, a city plagued by violence linked to organized crime. Villagómez’s body was found in a vehicle he used to offer private rides through apps.

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"Unfortunately, our colleague Ismael Villagómez Tapia lost his life... forensic analysis shows he was shot through the eye," said Carlos Manuel Salas, District Attorney for the North Zone of Chihuahua, to the press.

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The photojournalist was registered as a driver on the platform, working afternoons until past midnight. His cell phone was missing from his belongings, the official noted. "We're investigating the bullet’s entry path; no ballistic evidence was found inside the car," Salas added.

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Salas explained that authorities are working to access the ride-sharing platform to gather information on Villagómez’s trips, especially his last passenger. He did not rule out that Villagómez’s journalistic work could have been a motive for the crime.

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"We’re not ruling out anything; a journalist is a journalist 24/7, even if he’s doing another job," he stated.

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NO THREATS AGAINST ISMAEL VILLAGÓMEZ

The director of El Heraldo de Juárez, José Ramón Ortíz, told the media that the investigation should fully clarify the crime, regardless of whether his journalistic work was a motive.

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"He never showed any signs of being threatened, followed, or harassed," Ortíz said, noting a mood of sadness and anger at the publication.

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Ortíz added that Villagómez’s cell phone was missing from his belongings, but he still had his wallet, making robbery an unlikely motive. As a photojournalist, Villagómez mainly covered urban issues like traffic accidents or border bridge congestion, as well as the actions of migrants arriving in Ciudad Juárez with the intention of crossing into the United States.

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Translated article from: https://newsweekespanol.com/2023/11/16/ismael-villagomez-fotoperiodista-asesinado/