Journalist and Human Rights Advocate Juan Carlos Martínez Dies at 92

Juan Carlos Martínez, a veteran Argentine journalist and human‑rights activist, died on 6 August 2026 at the age of 92 in La Plata. His career began at the newspaper Zona Norte and later included work for the agency DyN, the Spanish magazines Cambio 16 and Interviú, and a stint as director of La Reforma during the 1990s. From 2001 to 2015 he founded and led the magazine Lumbre.

During Argentina’s last military dictatorship Martínez used the newspaper Río Negro to publish editorials that denounced forced disappearances, contributing to the preservation of collective memory. He authored several books, including La Abuela de Hierro and El Golpeador, and in later years assisted families of victims of the 1976 repression. He passed away after a prolonged illness, surrounded by his daughters Nora and Analía and his grandchildren. His death is regarded as a loss for independent journalism and the defense of human rights in the region.