Journalist Ernesto Méndez, director of the media "Tu Voz", located in the state of Guanajuato, was murdered in Mexico. This is the 13th journalist to be killed so far in 2022 in the neighboring country, making it one of the most dangerous countries for those who practice any type of journalism.
The organization Article 19 announced the unfortunate news through its TwitterHe stated that there was a history of threats against the victim, for which reason he called on the Special Prosecutor's Office for Attention to Crimes Committed against Freedom of Expression (FEADLE) and the Attorney General's Office (FGR) to take on the case and consider his informative work as a motive for the crime.
With Ernesto, 13 journalists have been murdered so far in 2022, at least 9 of them linked to their work.
"We demand that the Mexican State act urgently to stop this phenomenon and we join in the grief of Ernesto's family, friends and colleagues," the organization said.
According to the first versions of the murder, the journalist was in a bar with other people when an armed group burst in and opened fire, leaving a total of four people dead and two wounded.
Ernesto Méndez became the thirteenth journalist to be murdered so far this year; just on June 29, Antonio de la Cruz, a reporter for the newspaper El Expreso, was murdered in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas; in May Yesenia Mollinedo, director of the portal El Veraz, and reporter Johana García of the same newspaper, were gunned down in front of a convenience store.
These murders are in addition to those of Lourdes Maldonado and Margarito Martínez, in Tijuana, Baja California; Heber López Cruz, in Salina Cruz, Oaxaca; Juan Carlos Muñiz, in Fresnillo, Zacatecas; Jorge Camero Zazueta, in Empalme, Sonora; Roberto Toledo, in Zitácuaro, Michoacán; José Luis Gamboa, in Veracruz, Veracruz; Armando Linares, in Zitácuaro, Michoacán; and Luis Enrique Ramírez, in Culiacán, Sinaloa.
From this media located in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA, we deeply condemn the murders of Mexican journalists who seek to freely and safely exercise their journalistic work in Mexico, and at the same time, as Mexican nationals, we demand that the government clarify, resolve and exercise the full weight of the law for those who took the lives of these and all murdered journalists.
At the same time, we demand that all reporters, photographers, cameramen, editors, publishers and other journalistic positions be protected by the State, because, although our media is focused on the Latino community in California, we have collaborators who work in Mexico, and today their integrity is compromised.
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