Sinaloa.- Journalists in Baja Californiaborder with the United States, and in other entities at the national level Yesterday they demanded protection from the Government and a stop to impunity that reigns in the acts of violence against journalists in Mexico, which inhibits society’s right to freedom of expression. In one week two journalists have been murdered in Tijuana and in total there are three cases in January in Mexico.
According to local reporters, the journalist Lourdes Maldonado López was murdered Sunday night, minutes after the patrol that was guarding her left her house, receiving a shot in the head while he was aboard his car. She had measures from the Mechanism for the Protection of Journalists and Human Rights Defenders of Baja California.
Although the local Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation folder for the facts, the non-governmental organization and defense of freedom of expression, Article 19, indicated that the case should be brought to the federal Prosecutor’s Office. “ARTICLE 19 requires FEADLE, of the FGR, to attract the case and investigate urgently and objectively, applying the approved protocol to investigate crimes against freedom of expression.
The first hours and errands are vital to collect important data and evidence. In addition, ARTICLE 19 urges the Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, of Segob, to provide urgent protection to Lourdes’ family and colleagues, in order to guarantee their safety and integrity,” they posted on Facebook.
Read more: US Embassy regrets the murder of journalist Lourdes Maldonado; calls for freedom of the press
The outrage of the national union
Last week, journalists from Tijuana participated in the wake, mass present, vigil and attention to the media to spread the case of the murder of photojournalist Margarito Martínez, perpetrated on Monday, January 17. A nightmare that they are repeating again with the crime of Lourdes Maldonado.
Inés García, a journalist from Tijuana, who belongs to the civil association I am a journalist, told Debate in a telephone interview that despite the fact that Tijuana has been a violent city since 2004 there had been no attack against a journalist: “It is unheard of, it had never happened before. something like that, in the month there were 100 intentional homicides, it is not that one crime deserves more than another, but two victims who are journalists tell us about a bigger problem”; “They touched one of us, they can touch us all, now we are in shock; We were just recovering from Margarito and it’s another blow.”
The Mexicali Journalists Network published a statement yesterday demanding that the State Government redesign the protection mechanism and review the effectiveness of the measures, since Maldonado had already reported threats three years ago, as well as an attack on his vehicle, as in 2021 when she stated that this was due to her journalistic practice and a labor lawsuit against a media company owned by former Governor Jaime Bonilla, where she was a reporter and host. Maldonado covered political issues, corruption, analysis and was a mentor to various reporters in Tijuana.
Inés García, founder of the Punto Norte portal in Tijuana, told Debate that yesterday the local journalists reacted immediately and carried out a mobilization to the Secretariat of Public Security since Maldonado received security and is covered by the state mechanism for the protection of journalists because he had received threats.
Several larger national protests are planned today, again in Tijuana, as well as in Mexico City, at the Interior Ministry; Veracruz, Monterrey, and other states such as Sinaloa; in Culiacán it will be at 5 in the afternoon in the Cathedral and in Mazatlán at the same time on the boardwalk.
“What happened makes it clear that authority is not respected.” He explained that those who planned the crime knew that there was controlled access to enter the private house where he lived, so they took advantage of the precise moment to enter. He commented that it was explained at first that two people who had fled in a taxi were apparently involved, however, there are no ballistic signs, and it was said that he would have used a revolver. While in the case of Margarito they did find evidence casings.
It was also announced that in the crime against the photojournalist, the State Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that it was a direct attack and that it is related to his profession. He commented that progress was seen in the past days in the other fact and they expect the same in this new event.
political context
“We are realizing that there are tangible consequences at work, it is very scary if there are interests of other political or criminal groups that are emboldened”, in such a way that the union feels very exposed and vulnerable, Inés García said.
In the political and local governance context, last Tuesday the State Congress elected the new state prosecutor, Ricardo Carpio, while Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila had just given birth a few days ago and was dispatching remotely. Yesterday he condemned the events and issued a video message together with the prosecutor and the secretary of security informing that a special prosecutor will be appointed. “The attacks against the press are an attack against all citizens,” said the governor.
For her part, Tijuana Mayor Montserrat Caballero canceled her traditional conference so as not to hinder investigations, she said.
Yesterday morning, the President of the Republic, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, regretted the events and recalled that Maldonado had asked the federal government for support “he was here to make a complaint, for a labor matter with a Jaime Bonilla company. It was not a matter of threat of violence, he was helped and it was guaranteed that his request would be met. Unfortunately this happens. You have to see the mobile, if there is a link with the labor issue, see it with great responsibility, see who they were and if there are intellectual authors. It cannot automatically be linked to the labor issue, it must be viewed with great responsibility, it is not responsible to advance judgments”.
On the other hand, the Government of the United States through its Embassy in Mexico spoke on its Twitter account: “Alarmed by the murder of journalist Lourdes Maldonado López, the third homicide of a journalist so far this year. We stand in solidarity with Mexican journalists. #PressFreedom”.
Inés García, who participated yesterday in a mobilization at the Public Security Secretariat, says that the Tijuana journalistic union is in shock, because just last Friday Lourdes Maldonado had been at Margarito Martínez’s vigil, where she had asked for the microphone to share memories of his partner, he had even proposed that a photojournalism contest be organized so as not to forget the murder. Now others are demanding justice for those who demanded it a few days ago… for Margarito, Lourdes and all the others.
2022
Tijuana
Margarito Martínez was assassinated outside his home with a firearm last Monday, January 17. He was a security photojournalist with more than 15 years of experience.
Veracruz
On January 10, José Luis Gamboa was murdered in Veracruz, who was a critical journalist who covered political news in his digital medium. He was found with seven stab wounds. Source: Article 19.
The Data
Violence
In Mexico, 148 journalists have been murdered from 2000 to date, this in relation to their work, according to the NGO Article 19. Of these cases, 47 were recorded during the six-year term of Enrique Peña Nieto and 28 in the current term of Andrés. Manuel Lopez Obrador.
To understand…
Maldonado’s complaint
The journalist from Tijuana had attended the morning conference of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador three years ago to ask for “help and labor justice”, she also said she feared for her life because she had filed a lawsuit against a strong politician, she told the senator at that time. with license and then super coordinator of programs, Jaime Bonilla, who would be the candidate of the Fourth Transformation to head the state government in Baja California. In 2021, the journalist had also reported an attack on her car, which she said was related to her profession.
Read more: What kind of journalism did Lourdes Maldonado do?
In November, a new governor took office, she is also part of the National Regeneration Movement, Marina del Pilar Ávila. Last week, the journalist Lourdes Maldonado had won the lawsuit against former Governor Bonilla, stating that she would seize the media company from which she would take possession of it, this in the face of an unjustified dismissal.
.
#murder #journalist #Lourdes #Maldonado #Tijuana #unleashes #outrage