Translated by Jesús Ronquillo / Circuito Frontera
The remains of photojournalist Ismael Villagómez Tapia arrived home Friday morning. His family and loved ones were waiting for him to say their last goodbye.
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The coffin was carried by family members and media colleagues to his residence, located in the Sierra Grande subdivision, southeast of the city.
Ismael is survived by two daughters and two sons, who suffer the loss of their father in these conditions of violence that plague Ciudad Juarez.
Alicia Villagómez, one of his sisters, indicated that what they most want is justice, since they did not know that the reason for his murder was that Ismael resisted an assault, which would have occurred while he was working as a driver for the In Drive platform.
Ismael had that “extra job”, since the car in which he worked broke down and was borrowed, and whose repair cost 20 thousand pesos.
So “Tiger”, as he was known by friends and colleagues, needed additional money to be able to raise that amount.
The death of Ismael Villagómez was reported at 1:53 a.m. on Thursday morning, at the intersection of Article 27 and Sinaloa streets in the Francisco Sarabia neighborhood, in the western part of the city.
Journalists demand justice for Ismael Villagómez
Journalists from Ciudad Juarez gathered this Friday at the Papelerito Monument, right in La Plaza del Periodista, in order to demand justice for the murder of photojournalist Ismael Villagómez Tapia, who was affectionately known as “Tiger”.
At the meeting, friends, colleagues and members of various associations and media outlets demanded “Justice for Ismael” and expressed their repudiation of impunity in cases of murder of journalists.
The media professionals on this border also demanded the authorities to clarify the crime and bring those responsible to justice.
The demonstration ended with an emotional minute of silence in memory of the man who was also known as “Mayelo”, and who dedicated more than two decades of his life to photojournalism in Ciudad Juarez.
While in the state capital, the Chihuahua Journalists Forum and the “Jose Vasconcelos” Journalists Association strongly condemned the death of the Heraldo de Juarez photojournalist.
Nicolás Juárez, president of the civil association, demanded that the authorities at all levels of government clarify the motive for the murder and that the person or persons responsible for the cowardly homicide be arrested and punished.
He emphasized that as a journalistic guild we cannot allow human rights to continue to be violated and even less that impunity continues to favor those who attack freedom of expression.
He pointed out that they categorically condemn violence in any of its general terms, as well as against those who are part of the information sector.
He also reminded that “Alerta Prensa” is an alternative protection tool so that more than two thousand journalists who have registered can enjoy the benefits it provides.
