Mexico: 15th Mexican Journalist Shot Dead a Week After Media Worker Was Gunned Down in Sonora

Mexico is now the deadliest country for journalists, with another Mexican journalist shot dead in Guerrero state.

Independent journalist Fredid Román was gunned down Monday in the state capital, Chilpancingo, making him the 15th media worker killed in Mexico this year.

According to the Associated Press, Román ran a local online news program titled "The Reality of Guerrero," which focused heavily on state-level politics. He also wrote columns for La Realidad Escrito, which circulated on social media.

His death marks the deadliest year ever for journalists in Mexico. The country is regarded as the deadliest country for journalists outside of a war zone. It has gotten so bad that journalists often plead directly to the president for protection during presidential press briefings.

Guerrero Police in Mexico Still Don't Know the Motive for Mexican Journalist's Murder

Police records showed that Fredid Román was traveling in a red Mazda car in Chilpancingo, Guerrero. He was shot while still inside the vehicle when he arrived at Prolongación Valerio Trujano street in the Progreso neighborhood.

According to witnesses, they saw two men riding a blue motorcycle shoot at the Mexican journalist's red Mazda at around 4:40 p.m. Román was still alive but seriously wounded when police arrived at the scene.

Paramedics from the Red Cross followed but were too late, as the Mexican journalist succumbed to his wounds. The Guerrero State Attorney General has launched an investigation into his death.

However, police could not yet identify any motives for the attack. The Club de Periodistas de Guerrero, to which the victim belonged, said Román did not touch issues relating to violence all that much.

However, the Mexican journalist demanded justice from the Guerrero State Attorney General's Office, asking them to investigate the murder of a close relative from the town of Ocotito.

The Club de Periodistas de Guerrero is now demanding justice for their fallen colleague, according to El Comercio.

Deadliest Year for Journalists in Mexico

The attack came a week after the death of Mexican journalist Juan Arjon Lopez, who was the 14th media worker killed in Mexico this year. His body was discovered in the border city of San Luis Rio Colorado in in Mexico's Sonora state last Tuesday.

Like Fredid Román, Arjon Lopez was also an independent journalist. Authorities said a blow to the head killed him. Currently, his death is still under investigation by the police.

The killings of media workers in Mexico have gone up. The situation has been so bad for journalists in the country that it was likened to war zones in Syria and Afghanistan.

In 2020, journalists reported 692 threats, attacks, and other types of aggression. However, that number has since gone up.

The federal Special Prosecutor's Office has opened more than 3,362 investigations, brought 256 charges for crimes, and got 25 convictions since its creation in 2010 until August 2021.

According to human rights organization Article 19, at least 33 journalists have been killed in connection to their work since Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took the position of president in December 2018.

Various human rights groups have been calling on Lopez Obrador to protect press freedom and the safety of journalists around the country by addressing the violent attacks against them.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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