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In the Mouth of the Wolf: A Murder, a Cover-Up, and the True Cost of Silencing the Press
Former AP Mexico bureau chief Katherine Corcoran's pulsating investigation into the murder of a legendary woman journalist on the verge of exposing government corruption in Mexico.
Regina Martínez was no stranger to retaliation. A journalist out of Mexico's Gulf Coast state of Veracruz, Regina's stories for the magazine Proceso laid out the corruption and abuse underlying Mexican politics. She was barred from press conferences, and copies of Proceso often disappeared before they made the newsstands. In 2012, shortly after Proceso published an article on corruption and two Veracruz politicians, and the magazine went missing once again, she was bludgeoned to death in her bathroom. The message was clear: No journalist in Mexico was safe.
Katherine Corcoran, then leading the Associated Press coverage of Mexico, admired Regina Martínez's work. Troubled by the news of her death, Corcoran journeyed to Veracruz to find out what had happened. Regina hadn't even written the controversial article. But did she have something else that someone didn't want published? Once there, Katherine bonded with four of Regina's grief-stricken mentees, each desperate to prove who was to blame for the death of their friend. Together they battled cover-ups, narco-officials, red tape, and threats to sift through the mess of lies-and discover what got Regina killed.
A gripping look at reporters who dare to step on the deadly “third rail,” where the state and organized crime have become indistinguishable, In the Mouth of the Wolf confronts how silencing the free press threatens basic protections and rule of law across the globe.
Regina Martínez was no stranger to retaliation. A journalist out of Mexico's Gulf Coast state of Veracruz, Regina's stories for the magazine Proceso laid out the corruption and abuse underlying Mexican politics. She was barred from press conferences, and copies of Proceso often disappeared before they made the newsstands. In 2012, shortly after Proceso published an article on corruption and two Veracruz politicians, and the magazine went missing once again, she was bludgeoned to death in her bathroom. The message was clear: No journalist in Mexico was safe.
Katherine Corcoran, then leading the Associated Press coverage of Mexico, admired Regina Martínez's work. Troubled by the news of her death, Corcoran journeyed to Veracruz to find out what had happened. Regina hadn't even written the controversial article. But did she have something else that someone didn't want published? Once there, Katherine bonded with four of Regina's grief-stricken mentees, each desperate to prove who was to blame for the death of their friend. Together they battled cover-ups, narco-officials, red tape, and threats to sift through the mess of lies-and discover what got Regina killed.
A gripping look at reporters who dare to step on the deadly “third rail,” where the state and organized crime have become indistinguishable, In the Mouth of the Wolf confronts how silencing the free press threatens basic protections and rule of law across the globe.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 18, 2022
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December 17, 2022
full post here:
http://www.nonfictionrealstuff.com/20...
In the preface of this excellent, informative book, the author reveals that on her first day of work in 2010 as Associated Press bureau chief in Mexico City, she received news of a threat from a drug cartel. If a particular story was not published, they said, the bureau would receive a "special visit." Part of her job was to ensure the safety of "more than dozen correspondents and twenty freelancers around the region ... protecting the entire Mexico team of a U.S.-based international news agency." Having worked in Mexico by then for more than two years, she already knew what needed to be done, knowing that the press in that country was "under siege." Normally, the international media was left alone, but as she notes, "this was an epidemic," and it was only a matter of time until that would change. Although Mexico's constitution provides for freedom of the press, it is, as the author notes, "the most dangerous country in the world to be a journalist, outside of a war zone," with some fifty-one journalists having been killed there since the Committee to Protect Journalists started keeping track back in 1992.
The death of Regina Martinez, a correspondent for Proceso, an "investigative magazine" on April 28 2012 captured the attention of Katherine Corcoran, who had admired her journalistic work over the years and had actually spoken to her on the phone once. Regina had been discovered brutally beaten to death in her home in Xalapa, the capital of Veracruz. This was only a few months after she had been away and had returned to find that someone had been in her house, leaving behind steam in the bathroom (as if they'd just taken a shower) and some open bottles of soap. She was used to threats and had always taken precautions, but the invasion of her space really rattled her. Despite friends' and colleagues' advice to contact the police, she refused, not trusting the justice system since she had firsthand knowledge of just how the system worked from covering the government in Veracruz, "a state known for corruption" and she had written "many exclusives" on the topic, preferring to avoid covering the cartels because of the danger involved for reporters who did. The overriding narrative in the cases of murdered journalists landed the blame squarely at their own doorsteps, as they were blamed by Mexican officials for their own deaths, implying that "they must have fallen into malos pasos, 'bad ways'." In Regina's case, the police decided that she had been the victim of a crime of passion, but, as Corcoran realizes after talking to Regina's friends and colleagues, there was absolutely no way that was the case here. On the contrary, Regina's work in investigating and exposing the betrayals of the Mexican people by the government is what ultimately became her "death sentence." But what was it exactly that she was working on that would have caused her to be so brutally killed?
Corcoran's search for answers in Regina's case also shines a light on corruption at the highest levels of the Mexican government, as well as the state of journalism in Mexico where all too often journalists are pressured to either say nothing under the threat of "plata o plomo," or they report the "facts" sanctioned by the state or other players, becoming co-opted and going along with the approved version of the news; some, as in Regina's case, are simply killed for daring to publish the truth. And yet, through all of her work in putting together this book, the author never loses sight of her subject, Regina Martinez, who paid an unthinkable price for trying to bring truth to the people of Mexico, to open their eyes as to what was happening in their country.
Truly eye-opening and amazing book -- one of my favorites of 2022 and one I can recommend most highly.
October 4, 2022
An interesting case of investigative journalism, in which the topic is another investigation - the one that led to the killing of the book's heroine. Katherine Corcoran, a veteran AP correspondent and former bureau chief, dives deep into the dangerous world of Veracruz politics to find answers. While there is lots of information about the risks that Mexican journalists face, this is the first book that I have read that is focused on their fates. I have found it engrossing and well written, even though I think it could be a bit shorter - sometimes the details of local politics described here were a little confusing. Anyhow, I recommend this book to anyone interested in the freedom of press and the reality of living through Mexican violence.
It is worth noticing that despite the topic this book is also a love letter to Mexico - the author's fascination for its people and culture is contagious, which makes the story even more heartbreaking.
Thanks to the publisher, Bloomsbury USA, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
It is worth noticing that despite the topic this book is also a love letter to Mexico - the author's fascination for its people and culture is contagious, which makes the story even more heartbreaking.
Thanks to the publisher, Bloomsbury USA, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
August 2, 2022
Regina Martinez was small and stature but not in opinions. She worked for a political Mexican magazine and unlike most Mexican reporters she wrote the truth and not what the gangs wanted her to write. When other reporters were running scared she stood firm and stood for what she believed in and although she wasn’t alone in this venture it still somehow got her killed. Her murder was and still is a mystery and just like in America the local police found someone blamed him and he’s convicted and in jail. Catherine Cochran who is fluid in Spanish knows and understands the culture is the author of this book and she did a great job explaining the atmosphere in Mexico when it comes to all the things they don’t want to speak about. she investigates the different leads to Regina story even those she knew would be a dead-end. This is a very interesting story and it’s so sad but just for telling the truth people can lose their life. A lot of reporters get murdered in Mexico but none with the clout and influence of Regina Martinez sadly her influence didn’t translate to finding her Keller. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind to dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.
December 28, 2022
Maybe one of the best books about journalism I've ever read? At the very least it's a book full of hard-nosed, REAL reporting about both the murder of Regina Martinez as well as about the general political situation in Mexico, which of course I knew hardly anything about, embarrassingly. I also appreciate that Corcoran specifically says in the book that she tried very hard not to take "the tone of a white foreigner trying to explain an entire complex country to the rest of the world" and that was clearly viewing thing through a foreigner's lens. I think she did a great job in that regard, but also it's clear she knows a lot about Mexico -- certainly more than most Americans. She also makes all the people involved very human -- from the journalists to the corrupt politicians to the other random people she encounters on the street. Just a really great book.
Read
August 11, 2022Absolutely brilliant riveting account of one journalist’s investigation into Regina Martinez’s murder in Mexico- well written, suspenseful and eye opening - she really tells the story of how important journalism is in todays world of “alternate” facts
December 29, 2022
Back in 1979 I studied Spanish and anthropology for a semester at the University of Veracruz in Xalapa, Mexico, a city Ulysses S. Grant once said was “decidedly the most beautiful place I ever saw in my life.” It really was a wonderful place to spend a part of my youth and I will always harbor very fond memories of it. I knew that life in Mexico was very different from what I grew up with in the States but somehow I felt that this one corner of the country managed to escape all the crime and corruption that we heard about. Much of this was naivety but I have recently come to learn exactly how much things have changed in the decades since I last visited there.
Regina Martinez is just one of more than 51 journalists that were killed in Mexico in the 30 years since they began keeping track of that grim statistic, making Mexico the most dangerous place in the world (tied with war-torn Afghanistan) to be a reporter. What makes Martinez unique is her level of renown. Her stories about political corruption were published nationally, and even internationally. Correspondents for the major national media in Mexico are rarely assassinated. They were bribed, harassed, slandered and vilified, and occasionally even threatened. But to kill a high-profile journalist would draw too much attention when attention is the last thing that they want.
Journalism, as with most career choices in Mexico, is not a high-paying profession. As a result, many are willing to accept money under the table to write a particular story. Others will charge sources for favorable stories. Some will fall prey to the cartels' offers of plata o plomo' (Choose one, silver or lead.). For the most part, though, in Corcoran's words, "The press in Mexico was considered mostly a paid voice of the government rather than an independent watchdog." If something happened to one, it would be a simple matter to suggest that their own activities had brought about their downfall. They must have fallen into malos pasos (bad ways).
Not so with Martínez. Her reputation was impeccable. She didn't write about the cartels. Her beat was government. So when her beaten body was found on the floor of her tiny bungalow, the news shocked the country and even went out on the international wires.
And yet, 10 years later, no serious suspect has been charged with her murder. Suspects were tortured and beaten until they either confessed of fingered someone else, but none of the accusations or confessions stands up to serious scrutiny.
Enter Katherine Corcoran, former Associated Press bureau chief for Mexico and Central America, who spent years, at no inconsiderable peril to herself, investigating Martínez's murder. The challenges of such an undertaking are almost insurmountable, yet Corcoran still did an excellent job of compiling evidence, debunking the official version of events, learning what stories Martínez was working on prior to her death, and shining a spotlight on who stood to gain the most from her murder.
Did she tell us who committed the murder? Not in so many words, but I would have been surprised, and more than a little suspicious if she had. What she did do was was pay homage to Martínez's memory by telling her story, a story where truth has become a rare commodity and those who tell it are often considered the enemy. If this statement sounds familiar, it should.
I want to thank the author for writing this very difficult story and will close by echoing the book's closing words.
Regina Martinez is just one of more than 51 journalists that were killed in Mexico in the 30 years since they began keeping track of that grim statistic, making Mexico the most dangerous place in the world (tied with war-torn Afghanistan) to be a reporter. What makes Martinez unique is her level of renown. Her stories about political corruption were published nationally, and even internationally. Correspondents for the major national media in Mexico are rarely assassinated. They were bribed, harassed, slandered and vilified, and occasionally even threatened. But to kill a high-profile journalist would draw too much attention when attention is the last thing that they want.
Journalism, as with most career choices in Mexico, is not a high-paying profession. As a result, many are willing to accept money under the table to write a particular story. Others will charge sources for favorable stories. Some will fall prey to the cartels' offers of plata o plomo' (Choose one, silver or lead.). For the most part, though, in Corcoran's words, "The press in Mexico was considered mostly a paid voice of the government rather than an independent watchdog." If something happened to one, it would be a simple matter to suggest that their own activities had brought about their downfall. They must have fallen into malos pasos (bad ways).
Not so with Martínez. Her reputation was impeccable. She didn't write about the cartels. Her beat was government. So when her beaten body was found on the floor of her tiny bungalow, the news shocked the country and even went out on the international wires.
And yet, 10 years later, no serious suspect has been charged with her murder. Suspects were tortured and beaten until they either confessed of fingered someone else, but none of the accusations or confessions stands up to serious scrutiny.
Enter Katherine Corcoran, former Associated Press bureau chief for Mexico and Central America, who spent years, at no inconsiderable peril to herself, investigating Martínez's murder. The challenges of such an undertaking are almost insurmountable, yet Corcoran still did an excellent job of compiling evidence, debunking the official version of events, learning what stories Martínez was working on prior to her death, and shining a spotlight on who stood to gain the most from her murder.
Did she tell us who committed the murder? Not in so many words, but I would have been surprised, and more than a little suspicious if she had. What she did do was was pay homage to Martínez's memory by telling her story, a story where truth has become a rare commodity and those who tell it are often considered the enemy. If this statement sounds familiar, it should.
I want to thank the author for writing this very difficult story and will close by echoing the book's closing words.
This book is my personal Valentine to two things I treasure dearly: Mexico and independent journalism.
January 16, 2023
Many districts in Mexico are corrupt and extremely dangerous, as drug cartels control most all activities and lifestyles including politics and journalism through bribes and threats. Some cartels demand a “story” to be told, while others forbid the release of information. Since 2000 the killings of Mexican journalists have become commonplace, as exposing corruption could lead to one’s death.
Veracruz averaged 4 journalist deaths or disappearances a year and in 2012 journalist Regina Martinez, a beacon for free speech, became another murder statistic. Many such deaths are glossed over, however when the details of Regina’s murder appeared to be covered up by “fake news”, Katherine Corcoran, a former Associated Press bureau chief in Mexico, took it upon herself to investigate the truth. One must read the revealing story to identify answers to who, what, where and why and the lead story Regina was working on.
The author briefly touches upon the current transition in American journalism. While turning pages my mind often drifted to comparisons, which through Mexican drug cartels, corruption is starting to alter American civilization.
Veracruz averaged 4 journalist deaths or disappearances a year and in 2012 journalist Regina Martinez, a beacon for free speech, became another murder statistic. Many such deaths are glossed over, however when the details of Regina’s murder appeared to be covered up by “fake news”, Katherine Corcoran, a former Associated Press bureau chief in Mexico, took it upon herself to investigate the truth. One must read the revealing story to identify answers to who, what, where and why and the lead story Regina was working on.
The author briefly touches upon the current transition in American journalism. While turning pages my mind often drifted to comparisons, which through Mexican drug cartels, corruption is starting to alter American civilization.
July 4, 2023
excellent investigative reporting on the murder of regina martinez, one of many journalists murdered in mexico in 2012. i hadn't heard of her murder before i started this book, but was generally aware of the dangerous conditions for journalists in mexico and other latin american countries in recent years.
i also really appreciated the background information on how far the government's corruption extends, the noxious relationship journalists have with the government and how journalists are susceptible to corruption as well.
one nitpicky issue i had with this book were some of copyediting mistakes. there were a few spelling or word choice errors, as well as subject-verb tense mistakes here and there.
i also really appreciated the background information on how far the government's corruption extends, the noxious relationship journalists have with the government and how journalists are susceptible to corruption as well.
one nitpicky issue i had with this book were some of copyediting mistakes. there were a few spelling or word choice errors, as well as subject-verb tense mistakes here and there.
February 19, 2024
Nothing compares to the dissatisfaction of coming to the conclusion that justice does not exist. The reporting of what happened/could have happened was very very thorough and not every portion of the investigation is riveting but is covered with the same vigor as connecting government officials to active cartels. It did remind me of the sacrifices that journalists make. How reliant we are on the press (or now I guess on the internet - lookup the Gutenberg parenthesis) to know what the heck is going on. And most importantly, I know about Regina.
Want to read
July 11, 2024The Morbidly Curious Book Club September 2025
August 11, 2024
Heavily researched investigation of a murdered female reporter whose slaying has never been truly explained. Working on this story, the author reveals the shocking number of Mexican journalists who have been murdered as well as the vast scale of government corruption.
December 19, 2023
In the Mouth of the Wolf is a journalist's investigation into the murder of a fellow reporter-- Regina Martínez. One of many journalists who have been disappeared, tortured, and/or murdered in Veracruz, Mexico, the author focuses on Regina specifically while also examining the broader picture where freedom of the press and the safety of its practitioners are not protected. As a matter of power and politics, independent media is a threat to those with secrets from the populace-- secrets that could overturn a carefully concocted image concealing ill-gotten wealth and the violence needed to keep it.
This is one of those true crime investigations without a clear answer. And I think that's fair because of the dangerous realities of the situation. The author's journey to get to know Regina and her work, her friends, and her family was meaningful. It tells of a specific, valuable life while also painting a picture of broader forces at work. I felt the author's frustration at each dead end as my own. Part three of the book is particularly gripping because it's the firsthand account of her investigation, complete with misplaced assumptions and new twists. Readers are steeped in the environment of paranoia, misinformation, and fear surrounding the journalists who knew and loved Regina. You feel a part of the search, hoping each new revelation will lead to justice. And I'm sorry that's not the case. I was disappointed even as I respected the result as a dose of messy facts to face off with the official story.
As a white, American journalist writing about Latin America, the author acknowledges some limitations of her POV, which I appreciated. I do think that she over-emphasizes Trump as a harbinger of doom for the American press-- not because I think he's a great ally to impartial news or because I think there are no parallels to observe between bullies enriching themselves with power. I just think it's a common oversimplification that overlooks biases and blind spots in the American press that were pervasive and harmful at a systemic level long before a specific person rose to presidential power. There's no pristine version of the press that once existed despite the good it can do and the respect I have for journalistic institutions.
As a final aside, this isn't what the book is about at all, but several fatphobic comments sprinkled throughout got my hackles up. You can't work on your own problematic mindsets without noticing when they pop up in other places. Sorry, not sorry.
In many ways, this is a powerful work of true crime because it examines one woman's life while also considering the milieu that allowed her murder to happen and then be covered up. While the author reasonably avoids making a sweeping conclusion given the data at hand, she still examines many angles about why Regina Martínez was murdered. And perhaps more importantly, she looks at the impact of this brave, bold journalist's life and death on a society where the press isn't safe. Thanks to Bloomsbury for my copy to read and review!
This is one of those true crime investigations without a clear answer. And I think that's fair because of the dangerous realities of the situation. The author's journey to get to know Regina and her work, her friends, and her family was meaningful. It tells of a specific, valuable life while also painting a picture of broader forces at work. I felt the author's frustration at each dead end as my own. Part three of the book is particularly gripping because it's the firsthand account of her investigation, complete with misplaced assumptions and new twists. Readers are steeped in the environment of paranoia, misinformation, and fear surrounding the journalists who knew and loved Regina. You feel a part of the search, hoping each new revelation will lead to justice. And I'm sorry that's not the case. I was disappointed even as I respected the result as a dose of messy facts to face off with the official story.
As a white, American journalist writing about Latin America, the author acknowledges some limitations of her POV, which I appreciated. I do think that she over-emphasizes Trump as a harbinger of doom for the American press-- not because I think he's a great ally to impartial news or because I think there are no parallels to observe between bullies enriching themselves with power. I just think it's a common oversimplification that overlooks biases and blind spots in the American press that were pervasive and harmful at a systemic level long before a specific person rose to presidential power. There's no pristine version of the press that once existed despite the good it can do and the respect I have for journalistic institutions.
As a final aside, this isn't what the book is about at all, but several fatphobic comments sprinkled throughout got my hackles up. You can't work on your own problematic mindsets without noticing when they pop up in other places. Sorry, not sorry.
In many ways, this is a powerful work of true crime because it examines one woman's life while also considering the milieu that allowed her murder to happen and then be covered up. While the author reasonably avoids making a sweeping conclusion given the data at hand, she still examines many angles about why Regina Martínez was murdered. And perhaps more importantly, she looks at the impact of this brave, bold journalist's life and death on a society where the press isn't safe. Thanks to Bloomsbury for my copy to read and review!
November 12, 2022
Highly Recommend
I found this book to be educational and enlightening. I had never heard of Regina Martinez and her story deserves to be told, she is an inspiration of honesty, hard work on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves and courage. Thank you to the author for this riveting account
I found this book to be educational and enlightening. I had never heard of Regina Martinez and her story deserves to be told, she is an inspiration of honesty, hard work on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves and courage. Thank you to the author for this riveting account
October 24, 2022
This was a very interesting read. The risk to journalists in countries without a free press is immense and this really helps to drive that home. Couple the corruption in some governments and it's horrifying what people risk just to report the news. I can see that the author was trying to strike a balance between repeating what has already been reported on the murder at the heart of it, her own experiences in Mexico (both researching and in general) and puling you into the investigation activities. I'm not sure that was done to the best effect but it's still an interesting read that I would recommend.
I received an advance copy from the publisher and Netgalley to review.
I received an advance copy from the publisher and Netgalley to review.
June 18, 2022
I received an ARC of this one from the publisher. It's very well written, particularly for true crime. Not overly sensationalist, no cheesy writing, nothing like that. The book was quite engaging. It's not one I think I'll keep because it doesn't seem to have a lot of re-read value for me, as a person who only dabbles in true crime, but I was pleasantly surprised at the higher caliber of writing than usual for this genre.
March 12, 2023
I must have been put onto this by a PBS Frontline. It's the story of a Associated Press reporter based in Mexico who is investigating the murder of another American reporter.
Makes me think that I don't EVER want to go to Mexico again.
A lot of names that I had trouble keeping track of on the audio.
Makes me think that I don't EVER want to go to Mexico again.
A lot of names that I had trouble keeping track of on the audio.
February 1, 2023
Page 163 (my book)
Reporting was … an act of faith, of belief that what you did was essential to society and human freedom.
Page 102
During Duarte’s six-year term [as governor of the state of Veracruz, Mexico from 2010 to 2016], eighteen journalists were killed in Veracruz. Intimidation of the press was rampant. Police beat reporters covering protests and confiscated their equipment. There was a general shutdown on information coming out of the state.
The author tells us that corruption and violence has taken a toll on journalists in Mexico in the last few decades. In particular, she examines the work of Regina Martinez, who was murdered in April 2012, in her home in Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz. Much of this book covers the intimidation and threats journalists face in Veracruz, which is on the gulf coast of Mexico.
She describes the growth of corruption over the decades. Unfortunately, when Mexico became more democratic in 1982 with free elections leading to the possibility of change in government – at local, state, and federal levels, this led to an increase in violence. The cartels wanted to keep their power and influence, so they bribed politicians, who would then bribe journalists for favourable reviews in the media - or dissuade them from being critical. When one party replaced another, there would be a growth in coercion and terrorism, as the cartels wanted to keep their control on the new leadership. And these threats would not only be on the newly elected official, family members could be targeted as well.
Page 106-07
Between 2004 and 2018, there were 178 current or former mayors murdered in 24 of Mexico’s 32 states.
Page 107
The cartels now controlled local and state governments… they used targeted killings and violence against candidates and civilians to shape the political order, thereby becoming “de facto political rulers”. The narcos didn’t run for office; they didn’t need to.
Politicians took an active part in threatening journalists.
Page 102-03
Mexican reporters said they feared the government more than the cartels.
Regina Martinez wrote on corrupt politicians, the exploited, the indigenous among many others of the disenfranchised. She made enemies.
Her death was “officially” investigated and blamed on a lovers’ quarrel. The investigators deliberately created a quagmire, and arrested a suspect who had been homeless since he was a teenager. He was beaten to obtain a “confession” – a standard practice in Mexico.
The author pursues her own investigation, which she describes in the last section of the book. It is Kafkaesque, with interviews that point everywhere and nowhere.
In this book, we get both a wonderful and grim picture of life in Mexico. Life is vibrant and colourful – but there is always a paranoia lurking. The number of missing in Mexico is enormous – over one hundred thousand – and it could be more (page 239). There is no one to trust – government officials and the police are beholden to the cartels.
Page 186 Lupita Lopez a colleague of Regina Martinez
“Regina Martinez was tireless in the search for the truth… She worked with migrants, with human rights activists, with the mothers of the missing migrants, with those fighting for social justice, with relatives of the disappeared.”
Reporting was … an act of faith, of belief that what you did was essential to society and human freedom.
Page 102
During Duarte’s six-year term [as governor of the state of Veracruz, Mexico from 2010 to 2016], eighteen journalists were killed in Veracruz. Intimidation of the press was rampant. Police beat reporters covering protests and confiscated their equipment. There was a general shutdown on information coming out of the state.
The author tells us that corruption and violence has taken a toll on journalists in Mexico in the last few decades. In particular, she examines the work of Regina Martinez, who was murdered in April 2012, in her home in Xalapa, in the state of Veracruz. Much of this book covers the intimidation and threats journalists face in Veracruz, which is on the gulf coast of Mexico.
She describes the growth of corruption over the decades. Unfortunately, when Mexico became more democratic in 1982 with free elections leading to the possibility of change in government – at local, state, and federal levels, this led to an increase in violence. The cartels wanted to keep their power and influence, so they bribed politicians, who would then bribe journalists for favourable reviews in the media - or dissuade them from being critical. When one party replaced another, there would be a growth in coercion and terrorism, as the cartels wanted to keep their control on the new leadership. And these threats would not only be on the newly elected official, family members could be targeted as well.
Page 106-07
Between 2004 and 2018, there were 178 current or former mayors murdered in 24 of Mexico’s 32 states.
Page 107
The cartels now controlled local and state governments… they used targeted killings and violence against candidates and civilians to shape the political order, thereby becoming “de facto political rulers”. The narcos didn’t run for office; they didn’t need to.
Politicians took an active part in threatening journalists.
Page 102-03
Mexican reporters said they feared the government more than the cartels.
Regina Martinez wrote on corrupt politicians, the exploited, the indigenous among many others of the disenfranchised. She made enemies.
Her death was “officially” investigated and blamed on a lovers’ quarrel. The investigators deliberately created a quagmire, and arrested a suspect who had been homeless since he was a teenager. He was beaten to obtain a “confession” – a standard practice in Mexico.
The author pursues her own investigation, which she describes in the last section of the book. It is Kafkaesque, with interviews that point everywhere and nowhere.
In this book, we get both a wonderful and grim picture of life in Mexico. Life is vibrant and colourful – but there is always a paranoia lurking. The number of missing in Mexico is enormous – over one hundred thousand – and it could be more (page 239). There is no one to trust – government officials and the police are beholden to the cartels.
Page 186 Lupita Lopez a colleague of Regina Martinez
“Regina Martinez was tireless in the search for the truth… She worked with migrants, with human rights activists, with the mothers of the missing migrants, with those fighting for social justice, with relatives of the disappeared.”
December 18, 2022
There’s a famous utterance in Mexico, loosely translated as “You can have gold or lead,” usually said to government officials, law enforcement officials, or even journalists. Its meaning: If you (the government official, law enforcement official or journalist) cooperate with us (usually a drug cartel), you will be rewarded with gold or other fabulous riches. If you don’t cooperate, you’ll receive lead in the form of a bullet. Your choice.
And there’s more corruption. Consider, for example, Arturo Bermúdez, the public security chief for the state of Veracruz, who, according to author Katherine Corcoran, on a monthly salary of $3200 purchased five homes in suburban Houston, Texas, worth $2.4 million in 1996. He also owned nine more properties in Texas (USA), nine properties in Mexico City, five in Xalapa (in Veracruz), one in the Port of Veracruz, and two in Quantico Roo, along with ownership interests in 24 corporations.
Katherine Corporan’s IN THE MOUTH OF THE WOLF: A Murder, a Coverup, and the True Cost of Silencing the Press began a search of who murdered Regina Martinez, a journalist of high regard who investigated and wrote about corruption in government in her home state of Veracruz. Regina Martinez was one of the many journalists not bought off by the Zetas drug cartel or by government officials.
In her research, Katherine Corporan, an American journalist, uncovered much about the corruption and murders in the Mexican State of Veracruz. Two governors in particular, Fidel Herrera (2004-2010) and Javier Duarte (2010-2016) (Duarte is now in prison) are cast as leaders of a state–led criminal organization. With no definite proof, there’s a belief that 100 to 150 people a day (including journalists and students) disappeared, were murdered, and buried in unmarked graves.
Besides her findings, Corcoran relates what she and other journalists encountered (official deflections, outright lies, government surveillance and threats). It was not unusual for a journalist to leave Veracruz for months on end to evade being killed.
Complaints: The book is thorough and detailed, perhaps too detailed for a reader like me. I also had trouble with names. Sometimes Corcoran would refer to a character by last name, first name, middle name, full name, or nickname. For example. in this sentence fragment, “Jorge Carassco had met Julio Scherer outside Don Julio’s apartment,” only after referring to the list of characters at the front of the book did I realize Julio Scherer and Don Julio were (was?) the same person. Also, I had a hard time keeping the time line straight.
Overall, it’s a frightening, discouraging report, but worth reading.
My rating: 4 stars
July 23, 2023
Over the last fifteen years or so, Mexico has ranked as the world’s most lethal country for journalists outside a war zone. The reasons why make up the central theme of In the Mouth of the Wolf, a true-crime telling of the author’s attempt to get to the bottom of a single homicide, the murder of Regina Martínez in Xalapa, Veracruz. It’s a well-paced account that explains much about contemporary Mexican lawlessness, which in some respects has worsened since the arrival of electoral democracy (1997-2000); this in turn owes to the rising clout of state governors (often corrupt) and crime syndicates (often in cahoots with said governors).
A former Mexico City bureau chief for the Associated Press, Corcoran notes that Regina’s killing in 2012 was the first in recent memory to target an employee of a national news outlet, in this case a political reporter for the magazine Proceso. Historically, the vast majority of cases have involved workers for regional media, often on the crime beat. Finding that the official investigation is a cover-up, apparently involving confessions based on torture and witness statements based on bribes, Corcoran undertakes her own. This proves a decade-long slog, during which she and several Mexican journalists, also anxious to solve the case, are often lied to and sometimes threatened.
Corcoran interweaves her detective work with biographical sketches of Regina – one of Veracruz state’s most respected reporters – and her colleagues. Sometimes she mediates on the increasingly precarious state of the press, in both Mexico and her native United States. Her well-structured narrative is often galling, at times suspenseful. It’s also permeated with doubts about her sources. The author places herself in the narrative unobtrusively, only dwelling on her efforts when they fail. This is not even remotely the tale of a gringa saving the day.
Although Corcoran recurrently comments on Mexico’s press, she overlooks its improvement during the decade or so before her arrival in the country (she wrongly implies that most media are as submissive as those in Veracruz and that investigative journalism is a recent development). She could have made more of the unusual fact that Regina was not only killed in her home but strangled, which together suggests that she knew her assailant and that he was pressing her for what she’d uncovered. Still, this is a frank and revealing study of Mexican corruption and the resultant unknowability of the truth.
A former Mexico City bureau chief for the Associated Press, Corcoran notes that Regina’s killing in 2012 was the first in recent memory to target an employee of a national news outlet, in this case a political reporter for the magazine Proceso. Historically, the vast majority of cases have involved workers for regional media, often on the crime beat. Finding that the official investigation is a cover-up, apparently involving confessions based on torture and witness statements based on bribes, Corcoran undertakes her own. This proves a decade-long slog, during which she and several Mexican journalists, also anxious to solve the case, are often lied to and sometimes threatened.
Corcoran interweaves her detective work with biographical sketches of Regina – one of Veracruz state’s most respected reporters – and her colleagues. Sometimes she mediates on the increasingly precarious state of the press, in both Mexico and her native United States. Her well-structured narrative is often galling, at times suspenseful. It’s also permeated with doubts about her sources. The author places herself in the narrative unobtrusively, only dwelling on her efforts when they fail. This is not even remotely the tale of a gringa saving the day.
Although Corcoran recurrently comments on Mexico’s press, she overlooks its improvement during the decade or so before her arrival in the country (she wrongly implies that most media are as submissive as those in Veracruz and that investigative journalism is a recent development). She could have made more of the unusual fact that Regina was not only killed in her home but strangled, which together suggests that she knew her assailant and that he was pressing her for what she’d uncovered. Still, this is a frank and revealing study of Mexican corruption and the resultant unknowability of the truth.
December 17, 2022
A tour de force of basic and deep, sustained and sharp, morally outraged yet scrupulous reporting. Who might want to read this book? Well, journalists, would-be journalists, retired journalists, for starters, plus everyone who cares about how facts and the truth are hidden, why they are hidden, and how this endangers us all.
So, a humble tip of the hat to Kathy Corcoran. I don't know her, but over my 30 years in journalism -- local and national, newspapers and magazines, as reporter, writer, editor, and columnist -- I worked with scores of thoroughgoing professionals just like her. Some, obviously, were more talented or hardworking than others. What united them is a devotion to fairness and the free flow of information. This very much describes Corcoran: She approached this complex story with a hypothesis that she tests against hard facts, revising and revising again as those facts and countervailing facts are revealed. In other words, a principled, scientific endeavor.
It's impossible for me to vouch for all of Corcoran's reporting. What I can add is that I have spent time where this story takes place, in Veracruz, Xalapa, Mexico City. She describes details as I recall them: how waiters serve "cafe lechero" at Gran Cafe de la Parroquia in Veracruz, the puestos and parks of Xalapa, the vibe in Mexico City's Colonia Roma. The slow accretion of such details builds a formidable credibility.
It is no accident that Donald Trump and powerful people like him around the world have been busy attacking journalists one day, scientists the next. Their aim: the power to do as they please, with impunity. For this reason, I encourage people to read this book and gain a renewed respect for our scientists and journalists. Not because they are perfect, but because their basic mission is truth.
So, a humble tip of the hat to Kathy Corcoran. I don't know her, but over my 30 years in journalism -- local and national, newspapers and magazines, as reporter, writer, editor, and columnist -- I worked with scores of thoroughgoing professionals just like her. Some, obviously, were more talented or hardworking than others. What united them is a devotion to fairness and the free flow of information. This very much describes Corcoran: She approached this complex story with a hypothesis that she tests against hard facts, revising and revising again as those facts and countervailing facts are revealed. In other words, a principled, scientific endeavor.
It's impossible for me to vouch for all of Corcoran's reporting. What I can add is that I have spent time where this story takes place, in Veracruz, Xalapa, Mexico City. She describes details as I recall them: how waiters serve "cafe lechero" at Gran Cafe de la Parroquia in Veracruz, the puestos and parks of Xalapa, the vibe in Mexico City's Colonia Roma. The slow accretion of such details builds a formidable credibility.
It is no accident that Donald Trump and powerful people like him around the world have been busy attacking journalists one day, scientists the next. Their aim: the power to do as they please, with impunity. For this reason, I encourage people to read this book and gain a renewed respect for our scientists and journalists. Not because they are perfect, but because their basic mission is truth.
January 12, 2023
In the Mouth of the Wolf tells the fascinating and tragic story of the murder of Mexican journalist Regina Martínez. American reporter Katherine Corcoran takes it upon herself to dig into the details and circumstances of Martínez's death after finding holes in the official story hawked by the government.
Corcoran does a good job of contextualizing Martínez's murder (and Regina's own journalism) in regards to the many threats journalists face in Mexico and the rampant corruption that dominates civic life. She recounts countless anecdotes of journalists being on the payroll of government officials or drug cartels - and being threatened, harmed, or killed for not going along with the party line (sometimes literally the line of the dominant political party).
The book is also a pretty good (if not typical) journalist story of chasing down leads and rifling through mountains of documents. I learned a lot about journalism in Mexico - particularly how journalism as an enterprise and profession is viewed much differently than in the United States. And it certainly made me appreciate those in the profession who are committed to reporting the truth despite many incentives (carrots and sticks) to do the opposite.
I did find the book jumped around between timelines and topics and leads a bit too much, and I found the ending a little abrupt - but overall an enjoyable and informative read.
Corcoran does a good job of contextualizing Martínez's murder (and Regina's own journalism) in regards to the many threats journalists face in Mexico and the rampant corruption that dominates civic life. She recounts countless anecdotes of journalists being on the payroll of government officials or drug cartels - and being threatened, harmed, or killed for not going along with the party line (sometimes literally the line of the dominant political party).
The book is also a pretty good (if not typical) journalist story of chasing down leads and rifling through mountains of documents. I learned a lot about journalism in Mexico - particularly how journalism as an enterprise and profession is viewed much differently than in the United States. And it certainly made me appreciate those in the profession who are committed to reporting the truth despite many incentives (carrots and sticks) to do the opposite.
I did find the book jumped around between timelines and topics and leads a bit too much, and I found the ending a little abrupt - but overall an enjoyable and informative read.
February 13, 2023
Yes, this book is about the 2012 murder of a woman reporter in Veracruz, Mexico, but it’s far more than that. It’s the best book I’ve read lately about the corruption and crime rampant in Mexican politics - state, local and federal. You probably have to care at least a little about what makes Mexico run to care about governors who have business ties to narcos and district attorneys who make up unbelievable and untrue scenarios to explain uncomfortable murder cases. But Corcoran does a bang up job of giving a few chapters and verses about these kinds of events.
She also spends a bit of time describing how Mexico’s history of silencing the press has made it all too easy for corruption to become ingrained. Today Mexico is the third most dangerous country in the world for journalists who too often are murdered or simply disappear, usually after uncovering some inconvenient facts about public figures. In most American minds these deaths are attributed to drug lords and the narcotics trade. It’s more likely to be a powerful but corrupt politician she warns.
Corcoran also spends a bit of time wondering if the American press isn’t suffering some of the same fate, perhaps not the soaring death rate but certainly being silenced by a variety of pressures. Without a free press asking questions we could be headed for the same kinds of political corruption that hamper economic and social growth south of the border.
She also spends a bit of time describing how Mexico’s history of silencing the press has made it all too easy for corruption to become ingrained. Today Mexico is the third most dangerous country in the world for journalists who too often are murdered or simply disappear, usually after uncovering some inconvenient facts about public figures. In most American minds these deaths are attributed to drug lords and the narcotics trade. It’s more likely to be a powerful but corrupt politician she warns.
Corcoran also spends a bit of time wondering if the American press isn’t suffering some of the same fate, perhaps not the soaring death rate but certainly being silenced by a variety of pressures. Without a free press asking questions we could be headed for the same kinds of political corruption that hamper economic and social growth south of the border.
April 16, 2023
As someone with a least a little knowledge of the inner workings of Mexico (long time relatives that live and work there) I read this book anticipating all of the institutionalized corruption. Corcoran of course lived and worked in Mexico and knew many of the reporters so she's got chops.
What the book does in addition to telling a suspenseful story is to help untangle and explain much of the nuance to the corruption. It also draws a pretty stark line between journalists who tow the party line and those willing to step out and rummage around for the truth. And is fairness to the former group staying alive is certainly something I like to do.
In terms of historical context, Corcoran also does and excellent job of tracing the old guard's (that being the all powerful PRI) single party chokehold federal "corporate" corruption and patronage that reigned for years to the much more messy decentralized corruption at the state level. Anyone interested in what led to the growth in power of the drug cartels and the explosion in violence will find some enlightenment.
Having visited many parts of Mexico over the years and followed the sad state of affairs associated with corruption, cartels and rampant violence. I've often observed (not intending to be flippant) that Mexico has some of the best and worst people in the world.
What the book does in addition to telling a suspenseful story is to help untangle and explain much of the nuance to the corruption. It also draws a pretty stark line between journalists who tow the party line and those willing to step out and rummage around for the truth. And is fairness to the former group staying alive is certainly something I like to do.
In terms of historical context, Corcoran also does and excellent job of tracing the old guard's (that being the all powerful PRI) single party chokehold federal "corporate" corruption and patronage that reigned for years to the much more messy decentralized corruption at the state level. Anyone interested in what led to the growth in power of the drug cartels and the explosion in violence will find some enlightenment.
Having visited many parts of Mexico over the years and followed the sad state of affairs associated with corruption, cartels and rampant violence. I've often observed (not intending to be flippant) that Mexico has some of the best and worst people in the world.
June 15, 2023
Over 100 journalists in Mexico have been murdered since 2000. This book is about one: Regina Martinez, a particularly intrepid and fierce investigator who met her demise in 2012. She was an admired journalistic beacon. She didn't do drug trafficking stories, only political corruption and press intimidation. Author Corcoran is an American journalist assigned to Mexico and obviously fluent in Spanish. She became intrigued with the Martinez case, noting an apparent real perpetrator cover-up. She undertakes a five-year journalistic investigation. Her premise: it was probably a hitman hired by the Veracruz state government who did Martinez in because she was getting too close to publishing an expose about financial corruption. Corcoran's narrative rambles on and on; it could have been more tightly edited. Thanks for the extensive and charted list of characters at the front of the book. I often referred to it.
January 19, 2023
In the Mouth of the Wolf is very reader-friendly. The book deals with one of the most important human rights issues, threats against journalists and adds the twist of corruption and the involvement of drug cartels. This has a first person point of view that is gripping. I like her bringing some of the book’s lessons home to the US -- while at the same time being somewhat dubious about too close of a parallel. The forces may share aspects but they are more in the execution (no pun) than in the root causes. Mexico’s violence is predominately related to corruption and the drug trade while ours is white/Christian nationalism, racism, and issues around voting.
There are no illustrations (a real missed opportunity).
There are no illustrations (a real missed opportunity).
May 19, 2023
I went to college with the author and found this book because of that connection. Otherwise, I might not have stumbled on this. It would have been my loss. What a powerful investigative story and a tribute to true independent investigative journalism. There were times when I was truly afraid for the author's life as she untangles the messy network of lies and coverups that simply act as a blanket over the ugly underbelly of the Mexican government. The 4-stars is simply because I did not enjoy the audiobook and should have read this one. The native Spanish-speaking reader misreads some of the English, too often emphasizing the wrong words and even changing the meaning of the sentence. It sapped my concentration and distracted me from the story. Don't listen, but do read this one.
November 22, 2022
Anyone harboring the notion that Mexican politics is free of narco corruption may find this book eye opening. For others, not so much.
The book revolves around the murder of an enterprising investigative journalist and a decade long inquiry for those responsible and their motives. Though exhaustively researched, those questions remain unanswered.
Like The Washington Post suggests, ‘Democracy dies in darkness’ and this rings true in Mexico. There, those who are entrusted with monitoring their government are all too often dying at the hands of those who should be protecting their voice.
The book revolves around the murder of an enterprising investigative journalist and a decade long inquiry for those responsible and their motives. Though exhaustively researched, those questions remain unanswered.
Like The Washington Post suggests, ‘Democracy dies in darkness’ and this rings true in Mexico. There, those who are entrusted with monitoring their government are all too often dying at the hands of those who should be protecting their voice.
December 28, 2022
This is the best book I’ve read this year. Incredibly well written and while nonfiction, it reads like a murder mystery. Mexico continues to be the most dangerous country in the world for journalists - more than any war zone or authoritarian country. The level of impunity in the assassinations of journalists by politicians in Veracruz will leave you shaking with anger. This is a story about the murder of Regina Martinez but more broadly, the weak state of the rule of law in Mexico and the failures of a young democracy. I’m absolutely incensed at how openly corrupt these officials were and how few have been prosecuted.
November 20, 2022
Tribute to Regina Martinez and all assassinated journalists
The author carefully investigates and meticulously describes key entities that threaten truth telling in public. Corrupt government and cartel expansion collaborate to silence truth in Mexico. Journalists worldwide receive little guarantee of personal safety.
Congratulations to Kathy Corcoran for writing this account.
The author carefully investigates and meticulously describes key entities that threaten truth telling in public. Corrupt government and cartel expansion collaborate to silence truth in Mexico. Journalists worldwide receive little guarantee of personal safety.
Congratulations to Kathy Corcoran for writing this account.
November 1, 2022
A truly outstanding true crime book. Part memoir part investigation into Mexican journalist, Regina's murder. A murder that even in the UK sent shockwaves through the hearts of the people of this country. Written by an investigative journalist with extraordinary talent. Thoroughly researched and highly recommended reading.
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