Gunmen Kill Mexican Journalist near Children on Beach, 2nd in One Week

Journalists protest against violence during a commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the
AFP
Ildefonso Ortiz and Brandon Darby

A group of gunmen ambushed and killed a journalist in front of children in the tourist beach resort area of Zihuatanejo. The case marks the second murder of a Mexican reporter this week, and is ninth in 2019.

The press freedom group Periodistas Desplazados confirmed the death of Edgar Alberto Nava Lopez on Friday in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero. Nava was the editor and director of the online news outlet La Verdad de Zihuatanejo. Nava also worked as a city official in that municipality.

Nava was leading a group of children through a series of summer activities in the municipal beach before his death, El Universal reported. A team of gunmen approached the journalist and began firing. The children were left physically unharmed.

Nava’s murder follows soon after authorities discovered the body of another journalist. On Tuesday, police in the central Mexican state of Morelos found the body of Rogelio Barragan, 47, a journalist with online outlet Guerrero Al Instante. The victim was bound and tortured before being placed in the trunk of a Volkswagen Jetta.

“Mexican authorities must carry out an immediate and credible investigation into the murders of Guerrero state journalists Rogelio Barragán Pérez and Edgar Alberto Nava López,” said Jan-Albert Hootsen, the Mexico representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists. “These two brutal killings within days of each other are the tragic consequence of Mexico’s failure to seriously address impunity in attacks on the press.”

Other Murdered Mexican Journalists in 2019

Norma Sarabia Garduza –a journalist for Tabasco Hoy, died after a team of masked gunmen ambushed her outside her home on June 12. She was a crime and police reporter for more than 15 years. Sarabia received various death threats in the past from corrupt law enforcement.

Francisco Romero – a journalist for Ocurrio Aqui and Playa News, was beaten to death outside a bar in Playa Del Carmen on May 16. Prior to his murder, Romero received numerous death threats and requested government protection.

Rafael Urua Manriquez — The general director of Radio Kashana, a community station based in Santa Rosalia, Baja California, which reported on human rights, gender issues, alternative lifestyles, reproductive health, and ecology. He was murdered on January 21.

Jesus Eugenio Ramos Rodriguez—Longtime journalist and host of the radio show “Nuestra Region Hoy” in Emiliano Zapata, Tabasco. Ramos was murdered by a lone gunman while eating breakfast on February 10. His case remains unsolved.

Reynaldo Lopez – A radio journalist from Hermosillo, Sonora. Lopez was in a vehicle with a colleague when a team of gunmen ambushed and fired multiple times on February 16.

Santiago Barroso Alfaro—A print and radio journalist from the border state of Sonora. Barroso was gunned down while opening the door to his home in San Luis Rio Colorado on March 15.

Omar Ivan Camacho – A radio journalist covering local sports and also managed a related website. He was thrown off an overpass after reporting on a baseball game in Sinaloa on March 25.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Border / Cartel Chronicles. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Border / Cartel Chronicles. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.     

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