Local authorities and journalism rally in support to investigative journalist Alicia Ortega after she said her life has been threatened for a report on the case of the murder of José Silvestre. Recently, a key witness in the case was murdered and the murder has not been solved.
Among those who have supported the work of Ortega and made public statements are journalists Juan Bolívar Díaz, Huchi Lora, Álvaro Arvelo, Marino Zapete, Roberto Cavada, Edith Febles, Miguel Guerrero, Patricia Solano, among others. Others who have made support statements are international personalities including Bárbara Bermudo, María Elena Salinas, Rose Mary Santana and New York congressman Adriano Espaillat. Locally politicians Luis Abinader, David Collado, Milagros Ortiz Bosch, Antonio Isa Conde, Tony Isa Conde, Pancho Álvarez, have shown their support for Ortega.
Ortega went public revealing on her TV investigative journalism show, El Informe con Alicia Ortega, that she has had insider information of threats against her person for her following the case on Noticias SIN news station against Matias Avelino Castro, accused of being the intellectual author of the death of José Silvestre. The case is linked to drug trafficking. Ortega said the insiders told her that the remark “if he is sentenced, Alicia will know who we are, we are going to hit her.” The statement would have been made by an inmate in La Victoria Jail.
The threat is being investigated by the Attorney General Office and the National Police.
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Diario Libre
Noticias SIN
5 April 2018
