A TV journalist in Honduras that survived an attempt on his life last June said he and his family are still receiving death threats, according to the Committee for the Freedom of Expression in Honduras.
Selvin Martínez, a correspondent with TV network JBN, said he received a threatening call from inside the prison in Puerto Cortés, the daily El Libertador reported. Martínez said the caller identified himself as Joaquín Molina Andrade, the man who tried to kill him last June and that is allegedly affiliated with the Central American “maras” gangs.
Molina is being charged with attempted homicide and illegal gun possession; if found guilty, he could receive a sentence of 18 to 20 years in prison.
However, Martínez remains worried. “I don’t know if this sentence would be of any use to me, that’s why I’m publicly making this man responsible of anything that happens to me or my family,” he told El Libertador.
According to the United Nations, Honduras has the highest murder rate in the world, with 92 killings per every 100,000 inhabitants. It is also the second most dangerous country for journalists in the American continent.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
