The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its regional organisation, the Federation of Latin American and Caribbean Journalists (FEPALC), are calling on Mexican authorities to carry out a full investigation into the murder of journalist and editor Miguel Angel Villagómez Valle, who was found dead with six bullet wounds the day after he was kidnapped. 

His body was found on October 11 just a few kilometres from Lázaro Cárdenas, in Guerrero state, a town where he founded the newspaper La Noticia de Michoacán four years ago and which covers extensively the issues of drug trafficking, corruption and organised crime. 

In another deadly incident, journalist David García Monroy, a freelance working with La Jornada and El Diario de Chihuahua, was killed on October 9 when professional killers burst into the bar where he was drinking and opened fire.

"Only a week ago Latin American journalists launched a campaign from Mexico City against the brutal and targeted killings of colleagues," said Paco Audije, Deputy General Secretary of the IFJ, "and these latest murders demonstrate just how urgent is the need to challenge impunity, find the killers and bring them to justice."

At last week's meeting of the IFJ's Latin American unions, FEPALC and other international organisations campaigning for press freedom, including the IFJ-affiliated Sindicato Nacional de Redactores de la Prensa de México, demanded that the government of Mexican President Felipe Calderón enact legislation to ensure federal investigation of murders of journalists.

"If this is not done, press freedom will suffer as investigations of media killings disintegrate in the face of local corruption," said Audije. 

The IFJ and FEPALC plan to maintain their campaign until Mexico takes action to end its infamous ranking as one of the world's most dangerous countries for journalists.

For more information, please contact the IFJ at + 32 2 235 2207
The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in more than 120 countries