IFJ Condemns “Wave of Violence” as Shooting of Investigative Reporter adds to Death Toll in Mexico

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today condemned the killing of Mexican investigative reporter Roberto Marcos Garcia, the fourth Mexican journalist killed in less than a month.

“This wave of violence against Mexican journalists has the potential to destroy press freedom in the country,” warned IFJ General Secretary Aidan White. “This latest shooting shows that journalists are being killed with impunity in Mexico. This is censorship by violence – a ruthless and cruel attempt to stifle free expression and democracy.”

According to press reports, Marcos Garcia was killed near Veracruz on Tuesday after being toppled from his motorcycle, run over and then shot four times. The 50-year-old investigative reporter wrote for a weekly magazine called Testimonio, where he covered topics ranging from drug trafficking and auto theft to corruption among local officials.

He is the 35th media worker murdered in Latin America this year. Eight journalists have been killed in Mexico since the start of 2006.

Last week newspaper editor José Manuel Nava Sánchez was found stabbed to death in his apartment in Mexico City. On November 10, editor Misael Tamayo Hernandez was found dead in a hotel room in Zihuatanejo. On October 28, Bradly Will, a freelance journalist based in New York, was one of three people killed when gunmen opened fire on protesters during a demonstration in Oaxaca City, Mexico.

“We are calling on the Mexican government to bring the killers to justice in all of these cases and we urge President-elect Calderon to make the safety of journalists a top priority for his administration,” White said.

For more information contact the IFJ at 32 2 235 2207
The IFJ represents over 500,000 journalists in more than 100 countries worldwide