A journalist was shot dead Monday in Tegucigalpa, bringing to five the number of journalists killed since the beginning of the year in Honduras, announced the Honduran Committee for Free Expression (C-Libre, independent).
Edwin Josué Andino, 23, was killed by a bullet fired at point-blank range in the face, Amada Ponce, director of the NGO for the defense of press freedom, told AFP.
Before shooting him, his assassins had gagged him with duct tape, a modus operandi when killing journalists in Mexico symbolizing the desire to “silence” the press, Ms Ponce added.
His father was also killed.
The assassins took the father and son out of their home in the Villafranca district, west of Tegucigalpa, and shot them dead, said Raul Morazan, director of the LTV television channel, for which the journalist had worked for two years. .
Edwin Josué Andino had not been the subject of threats before his assassination, according to Mr. Morazan.
“This is the fifth journalist murdered since the beginning of the year in Honduras”, and the 98th in twenty years by combining journalists, media directors or press employees, deplored Ms. Ponce.
Honduras is considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, according to press freedom organisations. More than 90% of murders of journalists go unpunished.
With a rate of some 39 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, four times the world average, Honduras is also one of the most dangerous countries in the world, outside of conflict zones.