By “El Huaso” for Borderland Beat
Muriel Ernesto Gómez Alvarado, the brother of veteran Chiapas correspondent Isain Mandujano, has gone missing, reported the journalist on his Twitter this afternoon. Also missing are four others; a woman, a child, and two young men.
According to the missing person notice issued by the state government, Muriel disappeared along with four others in Comitan, Chiapas yesterday afternoon, August 19. Contact was lost with Muriel and four others around 5 p.m., after they reported being following by several trucks without license plates and with tinted windows.
The other missing persons have been identified as Osiel Roblero Lopez, his ex wife Sandra Luz Roblero Lopez, and Erick Alexander Lopez Roblero. It is unknown who the fifth missing person is.
No further information is currently available. It is unknown if the disappearance of Muriel is in any way related to the journalistic work of his brother Isain, who has reported on the state of Chiapas for decades. In recent years, Isain has been one of the main voices reporting on criminal violence and organized crime in Chiapas.