HRN radio’s news manager Alfredo Villatoro was kidnapped yesterday on his way to work.
Local media report his car was blocked by six men in a pickup truck. He was then taken at gunpoint.
The BBC reports kidnappers have talked with the station about returning Villatoro.
It is still not clear if the kidnapping was related to Villatoro’s work as a journalist, even though he has received threats because of his work.
Honduras has the highest murder rate in the world — 86 killings per 100,000. In this kind of situation, it is hard to tell if the killings of 18 journalists in the past 18 months are related to their work or other factors.
The real problem is that the police lack the skills to carry out proper investigations. Add to that the corruption that is wide-spread. And you have a terrible combination in trying to find out who kidnapped Villatoro or who killed the other journalists.
It seems, however, that HRN and other media outlets are asking for help via social media such as Twitter and Facebook to find Villatoro. This is a new step forward in getting the public involved in stopping the violence.
