On Thursday, 39-year-old Mexican journalist Heber Lopez was shot dead in Salina Cruz City in the Oaxaca State. He was the director of the Web News portal and reported on corruption cases.
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“Armed men broke into Herber’s office, fired him five times, and fled immediately after,” his brother Irving condemned and lamented that the journalist’s son was with his father when he was murdered.
Salina Cruz City Police have already apprehended two people suspects in the murder. Nevertheless, it assured that it will continue investigations with the National Guard and the State Investigation Agency (AEI) so as not to rule out any case detail.
Mexico is considered the deadliest country for journalists. Article 19, an organization defending freedom of expression, reported that 150 Mexican journalists have been killed in the performance of their duties since 2000.
From Jan. 2015 to Dec. 2021, the Oaxaca Ombudsman’s Office for the Human Rights (DDHPO) opened 288 investigations into complaints related to violations of the rights of journalists. However, the Oaxaca Prosecutor’s Office has not issued any information on the facts so far.
“In 2019, Herber had denounced attacks against him to the Police, Article 19, and the DDHPO. However, he did not receive any special protection,” Irving highlighted.
In January, thousands of citizens took to the streets to demand that crimes against the press not go unpunished and that the State approve comprehensive policies to counteract armed violence against journalists.