Jan Schmeitz

Jan Schmeitz (c. 1953 – 5 December 2024) was a Dutch journalist. Schmeitz worked for IKON, VARA, Trouw and De Tijd.

Schmeitz was correspondent in Central America based in Managua, Nicaragua. In July 1979, when the American State Department called on journalists to leave Managua, he didn't leave for journalistic reasons. In 1989 he was in El Salvador at the time the Santa Rita massacre took place, where four Dutch jouranlist were killed. Schmeitz started his own investigation into the massacre. He received death threats and fled to the Netherlands. He was subsequently closely involved in the investigation into the murder case. In 2024, 42 years after the massacre, the trial took place.

Schmeitz became head of foreign affairs at VARA radio and after that editor-in-chief of the weekly television program "Kenmerk" at IKON. Later he became head of IKON televsision.

Schmeitz died in Mexico on 5 December 2024, at the age of 71.

References

Category:Dutch journalists
Category:1953 births
Category:2024 deaths