So far this year, ten journalists have been killed in Mexico , considered one of the most dangerous countries for this profession.
Who were they?
1. Cecilio Pineda, 39
Murdered on March 2 by an armed group while he was taking a nap in a hammock near his home in Tierra Caliente, one of the most violent regions in the state of Guerrero .
Pineda had denounced death threats in social media and managed to avoid an attempt on his life in 2015. He covered police corruption news and was the editor in chief of the local newspaper La Voz and a collaborator with the newspaper EL UNIVERSAL.
2. Ricardo Monlui, 57
Shot to death on March 19 as he and his family were leaving a restaurant in the state of Veracruz – considered the most dangerous state for journalists by international organizations.
Monlui was the editor in chief of the newspaper El Político and author of a local politics column.
3. Miroslava Breach, 54
Her body was found inside a vehicle on March 23 with several head shots, in the state of Chihuahua .
She was a journalist with the newspapers La Jornada and Norte de Juárez, and spent more than 20 years investigating organized crime, drug trafficking, and government corruption cases in Chihuahua.
4. Máximo Rodríguez, 71
Shot to death on April 14 when he and his wife arrived at a local shop in their vehicle, in the touristic capital of La Paz, Baja California Sur.
He worked for Colectivo Pericú , which specializes in police corruption cases.
5. Javier Valdéz, 50
Shot to death on May 15 near the offices of Ríodoce , the weekly publication he founded in Culiacán, capital of the state of Sinaloa , birthplace of the most important drug lords in Mexico.
He was a collaborator with the newspaper AFP and a journalist with La Jornada . He specialized in organized crime and drug trafficking. His latest collaboration with AFP was on the internal war between the several fractions of the Sinaloa Cartel which began after Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman was extradited to the United States.
6. Jonathan Rodríguez Córdoba, 26
Murdered on May 15 when the vehicle he and his mother were in was attacked by five armed men, in Jalisco .
His mother, Sonia Córdoba, is an editor for the weekly newspaper El Costeño , where Jonathan worked. His father, Héctor Rodríguez, is the editor in chief of the same newspaper. Sonia survived the attack.
7. Salvador Adame, 44
On June 26 Mexican authorities confirmed the death of Salvador Adame, who was kidnapped on May 18 in the state of Michoacán .
His charred remains were identified through DNA tests after being located on June 14 near the area of Barranca del Diablo. Adame was the owner of Channel 6, a local news channel. He was killed and burned by orders of a criminal kingpin known as “El Chano Peña”, who operates in Tierra Caliente, Michoacán, according to the authorities.
8. Edwin Rivera Paz, 28
Gunned down by unknown individuals who pursued him on a motorcycle, in Acayucan, Veracruz .
He was a Honduran cameraman who entered Mexico seeking asylum. He feared for his life after his fellow TV journalist, Igor Padilla, was murdered in Honduras. The Honduran Government confirmed Rivera – who worked as the chief cameraman with the online program “Los Verduleros” – was applying for refugee status in Mexico.
9. Luciano Rivera, 33
Murdered on July 31 during a bar fight in the town of Playas de Rosarito, Baja California . At first, his death was believed to be unrelated to his work, but some colleges have said since then that his death could have been an execution.
10. Cándido Ríos, 55
He was shot next to a former chief of police and an unknown individual while he was on the outskirts of the town of Covarrubias, 200km away from the port of Veracruz.
He was covering cases of police corruption for the local newspaper Diario de Acayucan . Ríos, who was known among colleges as “Pavuche”, died while he was en route to the hospital, according to the sources of AFP.
Mexico is currently number 147 (out of 179) according to the 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
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