MEXICO CITY: Who ordered the murder of acclaimed Mexican journalist Javier Valdez?
The former right-hand man to Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman says it was the kingpin’s sons. But a friend and colleague of the late reporter rejected that theory Thursday.
Damaso Lopez Nunez, El Chapo’s top lieutenant in the Sinaloa drug cartel, said Wednesday as he testified against his former boss in New York that Guzman’s sons had ordered the May 2017 murder of Valdez.
But the evidence actually points to Lopez’s own son, according to Ismael Bojorquez, the editor of Riodoce, the newspaper he co-founded with Valdez in the Sinaloa state capital, Culiacan.
Valdez, a respected crime reporter and expert on Mexico’s multi-billion-dollar drug trafficking industry, published an article shortly before his death in which Lopez’s son, Damaso Lopez Serrano, was referred to as “Sir Nobody.”
“That enraged Damaso’s son, and that’s what led to the order” to kill Valdez, Bojorquez told Radio Centro in Mexico.
“Damaso is protecting his own son from facing trial for Valdez’s murder.”
El Chapo’s arrest in January 2016 triggered a war for control of the Sinaloa cartel, pitting two of his sons against another faction led by Lopez.
Lopez — a former prison director who once helped El Chapo escape from jail, then teamed up with him — was himself arrested in Mexico City in May 2017.
His son turned himself into the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) two months later, and both have been cooperating with the American authorities in exchange for reduced sentences.
After his arrest, Lopez told Mexican authorities that the order to kill Valdez came from within his organization, but that he did not know who had given it.
Valdez, who was 50 when he was gunned down in broad daylight outside his newspaper’s offices, was a winner of the prestigious International Press Freedom Award and a longtime contributor to Agence France-Presse.
Did El Chapo’s sons kill acclaimed journalist? Doubts arise in Mexico
Did El Chapo’s sons kill acclaimed journalist? Doubts arise in Mexico
- El Chapo’s arrest in January 2016 triggered a war for control of the Sinaloa cartel, pitting two of his sons against another faction led by Lopez
Shahid, Disney+ and OSN+ launch exclusive streaming bundle across GCC
- Bundle available exclusively visa Shahid for $25 a month
RIYADH: In a landmark regional collaboration, Shahid, Disney+, and OSN+ have announced an exclusive streaming bundle that brings together world-class hits from the three platforms under a single subscription in a first-of-its-kind offer for audiences in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
The all-in-one entertainment package, available only through Shahid in the GCC for about $25 a month, grants subscribers full access to three leading platforms covering Hollywood blockbusters, Disney+’s expansive range of beloved films, animations and series, OSN+’s library of HBO originals and international hits, and Shahid’s Arabic premium content.
The bundle is designed to simplify subscription management with a unified payment model, allowing viewers to access all three apps at the price of two and offering a streamlined user experience.
Natasha Matos-Hemingway, chief commercial and marketing officer at Shahid, said the partnership reflects a broader effort to expand digital entertainment offerings in the Middle East, catering to a growing audience seeking diversity, convenience and high-quality programming.
“We are proud to collaborate with OSN+ and Disney+ to offer an unmatched streaming experience to our subscribers,” she said. “With one subscription, one payment, and full access to premium content from all three platforms, we’re delivering unbeatable convenience, value and entertainment.”
With a growing demand for high-quality on-demand content, the bundle is expected to attract a wide range of users seeking comprehensive entertainment without juggling multiple subscriptions.
The move also signals increasing cooperation between global media giants and regional platforms, in a bid to meet the entertainment preferences of Arab audiences while expanding market reach.
Karl Holmes, SVP and general manager at Disney+ EMEA, said the collaboration will bring award-winning series like FX’s “Shogun” and favorites such as “Lilo & Stitch” into a unique bundle with Shahid’s regional hits including “Al Dariya.”
The agreement “reflects a shared ambition between Disney+ and Shahid to shape the future of entertainment in the Middle East,” said Holmes. “The Middle East is young, dynamic and fast-growing, and we’re delighted to give consumers a new and easy way to access extraordinary content at exceptional value.”
Choucri Khairallah, chief business officer at OSN+, said the partnership takes OSN+’s entertainment experience “to the next level.”
He added: “Today’s audiences expect more than great content; they seek seamless access, variety and exceptional value. This all-in-one bundle delivers exactly that.”
