Juan Ricardo Montoya Benítez, a 55-year-old journalist and correspondent for La Jornada in Hidalgo, died on Tuesday in a car accident while covering the damage caused by rains in the Chapula community, Tianguistengo municipality.
According to initial reports, Montoya lost control of his vehicle and fell to the bottom of a ravine. Emergency personnel transferred the journalist by air to Clinic 36 of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in Pachuca, where he died around 3:15 PM due to a skull fracture and cardiac arrest.
Montoya Benítez was recognized for his work in investigative journalism and his commitment to truthfulness and protecting his sources. During his career, he covered socially significant events, such as the January 2019 explosion in Tlahuelilpan, Hidalgo, caused by the illegal perforation of a Pemex pipeline, which left 137 dead, and reports on migration and natural disasters in Querétaro.
In addition to his work as a correspondent for La Jornada for 11 years, Montoya collaborated with Los Ángeles Press, a medium that highlighted his ethics, courage, and commitment to the community.
His most recent publication in La Jornada was a report on the damage caused by the rains in Chapula, edited on the same day of his death.
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During the first days of the impact in Hidalgo, the journalist went to the disaster areas to gather testimonies from the residents of San Pedro Ayotoxtla, documenting in detail the damage and the situation of the victims.
The media outlets where he collaborated and other colleagues highlighted that Juan Ricardo Montoya Benítez was characterized by critical, ethical journalism and developed investigations on organized crime, abuse of power, and high-impact social tragedies in Hidalgo and neighboring states.
Among his most recognized works are the chronicles on the presence of criminal groups in Hidalgo and the follow-up on relevant judicial cases, where he denounced irregularities and documented the impunity with which some authorities operated.
Colleagues and local authorities expressed their consternation at his death and recognized his commitment to his informational work until his last day.
