NEW YORK, May 5, 2009: A Mexican journalist, Carlos Ortega Samper, who was critical of local authorities in the northern state of Durango was fatally shot by unidentified assailants on Sunday.
In an article published Saturday, Ortega alleged that Mayor Martín Silvestre Herrera and Juan Manuel Calderón Guzmán, the local representative for federal programs, had threatened him in connection with recent reporting on conditions in a local slaughterhouse. In the same story, Ortega wrote that he was investigating a local police officer, Salvador Flores Triana, for alleged corruption. The journalist said that the three men should be held responsible if anything were to happen to him or his family.
– We are shocked by Carlos Ortega Samper’s killing, said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon and added: – Given the allegations the reporter made against local government officials, it is imperative that local and federal authorities cooperate during the investigation into his murder. It is time to put an end to impunity in the killings of Mexican journalists.
According to CPJ’s annual survey, Attacks on the Press, Mexico is one of the most dangerous places for journalists in the world. Since 2000, 25 journalists have been killed, at least eight in direct reprisal for their work. In addition, seven journalists have disappeared since 2005. Most covered organized crime or government corruption.
CPJ research has found that local and state authorities in Mexico have been ineffective in solving press-related cases and, in some instances, have been complicit in the crimes.
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