Fourth journalist murdered in Mexico since start of 2016

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is alarmed by the wave of violence against media personnel in Mexico, where another journalist was murdered last weekend, the fourth since the start of the year. After two murders in Oaxaca state in January and one in Veracruz state in early February, Tabasco state was the site of the latest killing. The victim was Moisés Dagdug Lutzow, a radio journalist who had received many threats. He was stabbed to death in his home in Villahermosa, the state capital, on 20 February A PRD party federal deputy from 2006 to 2009, Dagdug owned a radio station, XEVX-AM La Grande de Tabasco, and hosted a programme called “De Frente a Tabasco” – broadcast on 89.7 FM and on the CanalTVX.com website – in which he often discussed crime and openly criticized corruption and related issues in Tabasco. “How many murders will be needed before the Mexican authorities finally tackle this problem?” said Emmanuel Colombié, the head of RSF’s Latin America desk. “The frequency with which journalists are killed in Mexico is dramatic. The federal government must demonstrate its determination to contain this spiral of violence, provide media personnel with protection, and end the reign of impunity throughout almost the entire country.” According to initial reports, Dagdug had just got back home when he was attacked by several intruders, who stabbed him as he resisted and then left in his car. Several journalists in Villahermosa told RSF they were very shocked by Dagdug’s murder. RSF’s supports their call for a “serious and responsible” investigation by the Tabasco judicial authorities, who are currently working on the theory that his murderers were ordinary burglars. This seems very unlikely especially as Dagdug’s car was found abandoned a few kilometres away with just brandy and the murder weapon inside. The other three journalist murdered in the space of the past few weeks are Anabel Flores Salazar in Veracruz on 9 February, Reinel Martínez Cerqueda in Oaxaca on 22 January, and Marcos Hernández Bautista in Oaxaca on 21 January. Mexico is ranked 148th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2015 World Press Freedom Index.