The country is one of the most dangerous in the world for information professionals, particularly due to the violence of organized crime.
A Mexican journalist was shot dead on Saturday July 15 in Acapulco, in the west of this country, one of the most dangerous in the world for information professionals. Director of a local news site, Nelson Matus was shot dead in a parking lot near a cheap shop, said the local prosecutor’s office, which announced the opening of an investigation for “crime of homicide qualified by firearm”, promising to leave no stone unturned.
Nelson Matus had 15 years of experience as a journalist. He specialized in covering the violence in the state of Guerrero, in the south-west of the country, explained to AFP the delegate in Mexico of the NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Balbina Flores. “He had an introverted character” especially in times “where covering the violence was tricky”remembers a reporter who met the victim during several reports. “He was always collaborative and personable. He had a lot of connections with many sources”adds this journalist, who claims to feel “terrible indignation”.
Thirteen journalists killed in 2022
This is the second murder of a journalist in a week. On July 8, the body of Luis Martin Sanchez was found bearing traces of violence, a few days after the disappearance of this daily correspondent The Day in the state of Nayarit, in the northwest of the country. On Monday, a few dozen journalists gathered in several cities, including Mexico City, to protest against the assassination of the correspondent of The Day. The office of the UN High Commissioner in Mexico has requested an investigation “fast, exhaustive, independent and efficient” condemning the assassination of Luis Martin Sanchez.
With 13 journalists killed according to authorities’ count, 2022 was the deadliest year for journalists in Mexico since 2000. The country is one of the most violent in the world, with more than 150 journalists killed since 2000, according to RSF. The Mexican NGO Article 19 has listed since 2000 “160 murders of journalists in Mexico, possibly in relation to their work” information professionals. The most affected state is Veracruz, in the south-east of Mexico, with 31 murders of journalists since 2000, especially in the 2010s, according to this same NGO. Guerrero comes second with 15 murders of journalists since 2000, compared to two in the capital Mexico City.